Chinese word

破釜沉舟

Pronunciation

Pinyinpò fǔ chén zhōu

Meaning

  • idiomgo for broke

Example

比赛最后关头，他破釜沉舟。bǐ sài zuì hòu guān tóu tā pò fǔ chén zhōu

At the crucial moment of the competition, he went for broke.

Illustration for 破釜沉舟 (go for broke)

More examples

公司面临倒闭，他破釜沉舟，加大了投资。gōng sī miàn lín dǎo bì tā pò fǔ chén zhōu jiā dà le tóu zī

With the company facing bankruptcy, he went for broke and increased his investment.

Core concept

A point of no return where every resource serves one decisive goal.

Common phrases

  • 破釜沉舟的决心pò fǔ chén zhōu de jué xīn

    determination to go for broke

  • 做出破釜沉舟的决定zuò chū pò fǔ chén zhōu de jué dìng

    make a go-for-broke decision

Similar words

背水一战bèi shuǐ yí zhàn: Taking a determined final stand when retreat is impossible.
孤注一掷gū zhù yí zhì: Betting everything on one final chance of success.

Definition in Chinese

形容在做重要决定时，断绝退路、孤注一掷地全力以赴去完成某事。xíng róng zài zuò zhòng yào jué dìng shí duàn jué tuì lù gū zhù yí zhì dì quán lì yǐ fù qù wán chéng mǒu shì

Word origin

破釜沉舟 (pòfǔchénzhōu, "break the cooking pots and sink the boats") recalls a story in the Records of the Grand Historian in which Xiang Yu left his troops no way to retreat.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this expression fits a genuinely high-stakes choice or final attempt, while applying it to a small plan sounds exaggerated.

Other meanings

  • make a last standidiom
  • take a gambleidiom

Opposites

Word lists with this word