CHENGYU
百发百中(bǎi fā bǎi zhòng)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral
- Source:
- 《战国策·西周策》
MEANING
- Literal
- a hundred shots, a hundred hits
- Figurative meaning
- unerringly accurate; to succeed every time
ORIGIN STORY
The legendary archer Yang Youji of Chu could shoot a willow leaf from a hundred paces and never miss. The phrase came to describe perfect accuracy in any skill.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to never miss”
EXAMPLES
他的投篮百发百中。Tā de tóulán bǎi fā bǎi zhòng.HSK6
His shots hit every single time.
这位医生的诊断百发百中，从不误诊。Zhè wèi yīshēng de zhěnduàn bǎi fā bǎi zhòng, cóng bù wùzhěn.HSK6
This doctor's diagnoses are a hundred shots, a hundred hits — never wrong.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: Note the readings: 发 is fā and 中 is zhòng (to hit).
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Tap a character to explore it
TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01