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力挽狂澜 (lì wǎn kuáng lán) — to make a vigorous effort to turn the tide; to single-handedly stem a crisis

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning to make a heroic, forceful effort to turn around a desperate situation. Used for dramatic rescues in crisis — saving a company, a war, or a country — far stronger than simply 努力.

idiom
to make a vigorous effort to turn the tideto single-handedly stem a crisis

Examples

  • ，力挽狂澜，。
    Zài jīn róng wēi jī zhōng, tā lì wǎn kuáng lán, wǎn jiù le gōng sī.
    During the financial crisis, he made a vigorous effort to turn the tide and saved the company.
  • 力挽狂澜，。
    Zhè wèi jiāng jūn lì wǎn kuáng lán, zài jué jìng zhōng fǎn bài wéi shèng.
    This general turned the tide with great determination and snatched victory from defeat.
  • 力挽狂澜，。
    Tā yǐ yì rén zhī lì lì wǎn kuáng lán, gǎi biàn le zhěng gè háng yè de mìng yùn.
    With her own strength she stemmed the crisis and changed the fate of the entire industry.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

力 is drawn as either an arm bending out from the side of the body or a wooden plough.

Open 力 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
免
免miǎn挽wǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 挽, the left part 扌 is a hand symbol, showing an action done with the hand. The right part 免 supplies the sound.

Open 挽 →

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
犭Written in full as犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
㞷
㞷㞷狂kuáng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

狂 pairs 犭 (dog) with 㞷, which gives the sound; 㞷 is an old form of a character meaning 'to go'.

Open 狂 →

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 瀾; 澜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
闌
闌lán瀾lán
Same sound today

The traditional form 瀾 pairs 氵 (water) with 闌 (lán), which gives the sound.

Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesSuccess & Failure

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