势单力薄 (shì dān lì bó) — weak and isolated, lacking strength and support

Definition

An idiom meaning one is isolated and powerless — literally 'thin in force, weak in power'. Used to describe a person or group with no backing, not for ordinary tiredness.

verb
weak and isolatedlacking strength and support

Examples

  • ，势单力薄，。
    Zài zhè jiā gōng sī, tā shì dān lì bó, hěn nán zuò chū gǎi biàn.
    In this company, he is weak and isolated, and it's hard for him to make changes.
  • 势单力薄，。
    Nà ge xiǎo gōng sī shì dān lì bó, hěn kuài jiù bèi dà qǐ yè tūn bìng le.
    That small company was weak and had no support, and was soon swallowed up by a big enterprise.
  • 势单力薄，。
    Tā chū shēn shì dān lì bó de jiā tíng, dàn kào nǔ lì chéng gōng le.
    He came from a family with no wealth or backing, but succeeded through hard work.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 單; 单 is its simplified writing.

The form 單 originally pictured a Y-shaped wooden stick with two stones on top.

Open 单 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
溥
溥pǔ薄báo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

薄 combines 艹, a grass part, with 溥 as the sound part.

Open 薄 →

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