山穷水尽 (shān qióng shuǐ jìn) — to be at the end of one's rope; to be in a hopeless situation with no way out
Definition
Idiom for an utterly hopeless situation with no escape: literally 'mountains end, waters run out.' More dramatic and literary than colloquial '走投无路' (no way out).
idiom
to be at the end of one's ropeto be in a hopeless situation with no way out
Examples
- 山穷水尽，。Gōng sī yǐ jīng dào le shān qióng shuǐ jìn de dì bù, zhǐ néng shēn qǐng pò chǎn.The company has reached the point of being at the end of its rope and can only apply for bankruptcy.
- 山穷水尽，。Zài shān qióng shuǐ jìn de shí hou, tā dé dào le péng you de bāng zhù.At the moment when everything seemed hopeless, he received help from a friend.
- 山穷水尽，。Jí shǐ miàn lín shān qióng shuǐ jìn de jú miàn, tā men yě méi yǒu fàng qì.Even when facing a hopeless situation, they didn't give up.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.