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势不可当 (shì bù kě dāng) — (idiom) irresistible; unstoppable (of a force, trend, or attack)

Definition

Chengyu describing a force, attack, or trend as 'irresistible, unstoppable' — emphasizes overwhelming momentum, unlike 趋势/倾向 which name a trend neutrally without implying force.

idiom
irresistibleunstoppable (of a force, trend, or attack)

Examples

  • 势不可当，。
    Zhè gǔ cháo liú shì bù kě dāng, hěn duō gōng sī dōu jiā rù le.
    This trend is irresistible; many companies have joined in.
  • 势不可当，。
    Zhè zhī qiú duì de gōng shì shì bù kě dāng, lián xù jìn le sān gè qiú.
    This team's attack is unstoppable; they scored three goals in a row.
  • 势不可当，。
    Shān hóng shì bù kě dāng, gōng lù bèi chōng duàn le.
    The mountain flood was unstoppable; the road was washed away.

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 →

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
丂
丂kǎo可kě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

可 pairs 口 (mouth) with 丂 as a sound part; it is tied to air from the mouth, perhaps singing.

Open 可 →

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 當; 当 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng當dāng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 當 combines 田 (field) with 尚; the evidence describes fields facing each other.

Open 当 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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