Literal meaning
foolish (愚) — old man (公) — move (移) — mountain (山)
Origin
Liezi (《列子·汤问》). An old man named Yu Gong lived facing two huge mountains that blocked his family's way out. He resolved to move them, shovel by shovel. A neighbor mocked: "You're too old — you'll never finish." Yu Gong replied: 子子孙孙无穷匮也，而山不加增，何苦而不平 — "My children and grandchildren go on forever, but the mountains don't grow taller; why wouldn't I level them?" Moved by his determination, the heavens sent two gods to carry the mountains away. Mao Zedong famously cited the story in 1945 to frame the Communist movement's challenge as one of patient generational effort.
Examples
Usage & nuances
Heroic register. Used for ambitious, long-term, often generational projects. Some self-deprecating uses too — joking about how slow your own progress feels.
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