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付诸东流 (fù zhū dōng liú) — all efforts are wasted; to come to nothing; to be irrevocably lost

Definition

A chengyu meaning hard work or plans are completely lost forever, like water flowing east and gone for good. Stronger than simply "failing" — it stresses the irreversible loss.

idiom
all efforts are wastedto come to nothingto be irrevocably lost

Examples

  • 付诸东流。
    Tā de xīn xuè fù zhū dōng liú le.
    His hard work went to waste.
  • 付诸东流。
    Zhè cì shī bài shǐ suǒ yǒu de jì huà fù zhū dōng liú.
    This failure caused all the plans to come to nothing.
  • 付诸东流。
    Duō nián de nǔ lì yīn wèi yì chǎng dà huǒ fù zhū dōng liú.
    Years of effort went up in smoke because of a big fire.
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