势如破竹 (shì rú pò zhú) — (idiom) with irresistible force; like a knife through butter; unstoppable momentum

Definition

A chéngyǔ (四字成语) describing momentum that is unstoppable, like splitting bamboo — each piece falls easily after the first. Used for armies, teams, or sales figures surging forward.

idiom
with irresistible forcelike a knife through butterunstoppable momentum

Examples

  • ，势如破竹，。
    Bǐ sài kāi shǐ hòu, wǒ men duì shì rú pò zhú, lián yíng le sān chǎng.
    After the game began, our team advanced with irresistible momentum and won three matches in a row.
  • 势如破竹，。
    Zhè zhī jūn duì shì rú pò zhú, hěn kuài gōng xià le dí rén de zhèn dì.
    This army advanced like splitting bamboo and quickly captured the enemy's position.
  • 势如破竹，。
    Xīn chǎn pǐn de xiāo liàng shì rú pò zhú, yí gè yuè jiù mài chū le shí wàn jiàn.
    The sales of the new product surged with unstoppable force, selling over a hundred thousand units in just one month.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 勢; 势 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìpower
Sound part声符shēngfú
埶
埶yì勢shì
Same sound today

The traditional form 勢 combines 力, meaning power, with 埶 for the sound. The simplified 势 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 势 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ如rú
Same sound today

如 is built from 口 (mouth) for its meaning and 女 (woman) for its sound.

Open 如 →

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
石石shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí破pò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

破 has 石 (stone) as its meaning part and 皮 as its sound part.

Open 破 →

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

竹 pictures two bamboo stalks with leaves.

Open 竹 →

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