只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针

If you work at it hard enough, you can grind an iron bar into a needle. / cf idiom 磨杵成針|磨杵成针, to grind an iron bar down to a fine needle (idiom); fig. to persevere in a difficult task / to study diligently

only / merely / just / but

variant of 只[zhi3]

grain that has begun to ripen

variant of 只[zhi3]

classifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels etc

if only / so long as

to demand / to request / to coerce

important / vital / to want / to ask for / will / going to (as future auxiliary) / may / must / (used in a comparison) must be / probably / if

(bound form) to demand; to coerce

to want; to need; to ask for / will; shall; about to / need to; should / if (same as 要是[yao4 shi5]) / (bound form) important

variant of 邀功[yao1 gong1]

meritorious deed or service / achievement / result / service / accomplishment / work (physics)

skill / art / kung fu / labor / effort

husband / man / manual worker / conscripted laborer (old)

(classical) this, that / he, she, they / (exclamatory final particle) / (initial particle, introduces an opinion)

old variant of 深[shen1]

deep / depth / deeply / (of a color) dark / deep / rich

deep (lit. and fig.)

surname Tie

iron (metal) / arms / weapons / hard / strong / violent / unshakeable / determined / close / tight (slang)

pestle / to poke

to rub / to grind / to polish / to sharpen / to wear down / to die out / to waste time / to pester / to insist

grindstone / to grind / to turn round

surname Cheng

to succeed / to finish / to complete / to accomplish / to become / to turn into / to be all right / OK! / one tenth

needle / pin / injection / stitch / CL:根[gen1],支[zhi1]

variant of 針|针[zhen1], needle