卷土重来 (juǎn tǔ chóng lái) — to stage a comeback (after a defeat); to resume…

Definition

A chengyu for rallying back after a defeat — 'to stage a comeback'. Usually carries a tone of threat or drama, stronger than just 'try again'.

idiom

to stage a comeback (after a defeat)to resume one's effortsto rally again

，卷土重来。
Suī rán shàng cì jìng xuǎn shī bài le, tā míng nián zhǔn bèi juǎn tǔ chóng lái.
Although he lost the last election, he plans to stage a comeback next year.
，卷土重来。
Zhè jiā gōng sī pò chǎn zhī hòu, kào xīn chǎn pǐn juǎn tǔ chóng lái le.
After going bankrupt, the company staged a comeback with new products.
卷土重来，。
Nà zhī qiú duì zài luò hòu sān qiú de qíng kuàng xià jū rán juǎn tǔ chóng lái, zuì zhōng yíng le bǐ sài.
That team staged a comeback despite being three goals down and ultimately won the match.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

卩卩jiékneeling person

Sound part声符shēngfú

𢍏

𢍏𢍏卷juàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 卷, 卩 shows a kneeling person, while 𢍏 gives the sound and may also suggest bending or rolling, as in a reel of books.

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

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

Sound part声符shēngfú

東

東dōng重zhòng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

重 developed from a picture of a man carrying a bag, with 人 for the man and 東 for the bag; a later ground element was folded into the form.

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 來; 来 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 來 shows a wheat plant: a central ear, upward leaves, and downward stem and roots. The simplified 来 is a later shorthand.

Appears in