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破釜沉舟. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
破釜沉舟, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
破釜沉舟 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
破釜沉舟 you have here. The definition of the word
破釜沉舟 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
破釜沉舟, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Chinese
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to break; to split; broken to break; to split; broken; damaged; worn out |
kettle; cauldron
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submerge; immerse; sink submerge; immerse; sink; deep; profound; to lower; to drop |
boat
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| trad. (破釜沉舟)
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破
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釜
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沉
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舟
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| simp. #(破釜沉舟)
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破
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釜
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沉
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舟
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| Literally: “break the (cooking) pots and sink the boat”.
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Etymology
In reference to an incident which occurred during the Battle of Julu:
項羽乃悉引兵渡河，皆沈船，破釜甑，燒廬舍，持三日糧，以示士卒必死，無一還心。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
项羽乃悉引兵渡河，皆沉船，破釜甑，烧庐舍，持三日粮，以示士卒必死，无一还心。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]- From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
- Xiàng Yǔ nǎi xī yǐn bīng dù Hé, jiē chén chuán, pò fǔ zèng, shāo lúshè, chí sān rì liáng, yǐ shì shìzú bì sǐ, wú yī huán xīn.
- Thus Xiang Yu led his entire army across the River He (i.e. the Yellow River). He had all the boats sunk, the caldrons and clay boilers broken, and the camp lodgings burned. He further ordered that only three days' provisions should be carried. With these measures, he showed that every man was now ready to die and none of them would entertain the very idea of returning.
Pronunciation
Idiom
破釜沉舟
- to burn one's boats; to cross the Rubicon; to reach the point of no return