四面楚歌 (sì miàn chǔ gē) — (idiom) to be besieged on all sides; to be in a hopeless, isolated position

Definition

From a historical siege: literally 'songs of Chu on all four sides,' meaning surrounded by enemies or opposition with no escape. Used for a desperate, hopeless situation.

idiom
to be besieged on all sidesto be in a hopelessisolated position

Examples

  • 四面楚歌，。
    Tā xiàn zài sì miàn chǔ gē, méi yǒu rén yuàn yì bāng tā.
    He is now besieged on all sides, with no one willing to help him.
  • 四面楚歌，。
    Gōng sī miàn lín sì miàn chǔ gē de kùn jìng, bì xū jǐn kuài zhǎo dào chū lù.
    The company is in a situation of being besieged on all sides and must find a way out as soon as possible.
  • 四面楚歌，。
    Zài bǐ sài zhōng tā gǎn dào sì miàn chǔ gē, duì shǒu de gōng shì yì bō jiē yì bō.
    During the match he felt besieged on all sides as his opponent's attacks came wave after wave.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

四面all sides
四sìfour面miànside
偏正Modifier + head
楚歌Chu songs
楚chǔChu歌gēsong
偏正Modifier + head

四面 means all sides, and 楚歌 means songs of Chu, so the picture is being surrounded by Chu songs.

Characters in this word

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

The form 四 was drawn as a nose breathing out. It later came to be used for the word four.

Open 四 →

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

面 originally drew a man’s face, with one eye exaggerated; the horizontal stroke was added later.

Open 面 →

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
林林línforest; grove; woods
Sound part声符shēngfú
疋
疋pǐ楚chǔ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The old form combined 林 (forest) with a part like a footprint, perhaps pointing to a place with a group of trees. In 楚, the lower part is written as 疋, which gives the sound and preserves part of that drawing.

Open 楚 →

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
欠欠qiànblow
Sound part声符shēngfú
哥
哥gē歌gē
Same sound today

The shape 歌 uses 哥 for the sound and 欠, meaning blow. It came from a form of 哥 used for singing.

Open 歌 →

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