CHENGYU
破釜沉舟(pò fǔ chén zhōu)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- formal
- Source:
- 《史记·项羽本纪》
MEANING
- Literal
- to smash the pots and sink the boats
- Figurative meaning
- to burn one's bridges and commit fully to a decisive act
ORIGIN STORY
Before the decisive Battle of Julu, the general Xiang Yu ordered his army to break the cooking pots and sink the boats after crossing the river — no way back, only victory.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to burn one's boats”
EXAMPLES
他破釜沉舟，把全部积蓄都投了进去。Tā pò fǔ chén zhōu, bǎ quánbù jīxù dōu tóu le jìnqù.HSK6
He burned his bridges and invested all his savings.
这次考试他破釜沉舟，辞职全力准备。Zhè cì kǎoshì tā pò fǔ chén zhōu, cízhí quánlì zhǔnbèi.HSK6
For this exam he went all in, quitting his job to prepare.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It describes total commitment with no way back — not reckless gambling without purpose.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-14
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01