Chinese word

完蛋

Pronunciation

Pinyinwán dàn

Meaning

  • verbbe done for

Example

考试考砸了，我完蛋了。kǎo shì kǎo zá le wǒ wán dàn le

I messed up the exam, so I am done for.

Illustration for 完蛋 (be done for)

More examples

护照丢了，这次旅行算是完蛋了。hù zhào diū le zhè cì lǚ xíng suàn shì wán dàn le

The passport is lost, so this trip is done for.

Core concept

A person or situation reaches a final point with no way out, whether the result is truly disastrous or only feels hopeless in the moment.

Common phrases

  • 这下完蛋了zhè xià wán dàn le

    This is the end

Similar words

完了wán le: To come to an end so that nothing more can continue.
没救了méi jiù le: To be beyond help, recovery, or improvement.
挂了guà le: To cease functioning and no longer be usable.
失败shī bài: To fail to reach a goal, producing an unsuccessful result.

Definition in Chinese

表示某事彻底失败、无可挽回或个人遭遇极坏后果的口语动词，也可用来夸张地说自己糟透了。biǎo shì mǒu shì chè dǐ shī bài wú ké wǎn huí huò gè rén zāo yù jí huài hòu guǒ de kóu yǔ dòng cí yě kě yòng lái kuā zhāng dì shuō zì jǐ zāo tòu le

Word origin

完蛋 (wándàn, "be done for") is a colloquial compound of 完 (wán, "finish") + 蛋 (dàn, "egg"); its modern meaning is conventional rather than a reliable literal story about an egg.

Usage tips

  • It can describe a plan, machine, or person, but applying it to someone else can sound harsh because it presents that person as beyond help.

Other meanings

  • dieverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word