凿záo壁bì偷tōu光guāng

Literal: to bore a hole in the wall to steal the light
Figurative: To study diligently despite extreme poverty, seizing any means to learn.

Where does 凿壁偷光 come from?

Kuang Heng, of the Han dynasty, was so poor he could not afford candles to read at night. Since his neighbor's house was lit, he bored a hole in the wall between them so the glow would seep through, and he read by that borrowed light. Through such study he became a recognized scholar. The phrase exalts the thirst for learning amid the harshest want.

Source (出处): 《西京杂记》

How is 凿壁偷光 used? Two examples

他tā家jiā境jìng贫pín寒hán，却què靠kào着zhe凿záo壁bì偷tōu光guāng的de精jīng神shén，最zuì终zhōng考kǎo上shàng了le名míng校xiào。
His family was poor, yet with that spirit of studying against all hardship he finally got into a top school.
老lǎo师shī常cháng用yòng凿záo壁bì偷tōu光guāng的de故gù事shì，鼓gǔ励lì我wǒ们men珍zhēn惜xī现xiàn在zài的de学xué习xí条tiáo件jiàn。
The teacher often uses the story of the boy who bored the wall for light to encourage us to cherish today's study conditions.

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