人仰马翻 (rén yǎng mǎ fān) — suffer utter defeat; be thrown into complete chaos

Definition

Chengyu (from a battlefield image: men on their backs, horses overturned) describing total chaos or a devastating rout — a stronger, more vivid version of 'complete mess.'

idiom
suffer utter defeatbe thrown into complete chaos

Examples

  • 人仰马翻，。
    Dí rén bèi dǎ dé rén yǎng mǎ fān, láng bèi táo cuàn.
    The enemy was utterly defeated and fled in panic.
  • ，人仰马翻。
    Gōng sī nèi bù guǎn lǐ hùn luàn, yǐ jīng rén yǎng mǎ fān le.
    The company's internal management is chaotic — it's already a complete mess.
  • 人仰马翻，。
    Zhè chǎng zhēng lùn ràng quán chǎng rén yǎng mǎ fān, shuí yě tīng bù qīng shuí de.
    This argument threw the whole room into chaos, and no one could hear anyone clearly.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

人仰people fall
人rénpeople仰yǎngfall backwards
主谓Subject + predicate
马翻horses overturn
马mǎhorse翻fānoverturn
主谓Subject + predicate

“人仰” and “马翻” picture people falling and horses overturning.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 人 shows a side view of a standing person, with an arm and a leg.

Open 人 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
卬
卬áng仰yǎng
Same sound today

In 仰, the left part 亻 represents a person, and the right part 卬 gives the sound.

Open 仰 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 馬; 马 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 馬 shows a horse with its head facing left, a flowing mane, and two legs standing vertically.

Open 马 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
羽羽yǔwings
Sound part声符shēngfú
番
番fān翻fān
Same sound today

翻 pairs 羽 (wings) with 番, which gives the sound. The shape shows something fluttering.

Open 翻 →

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