大势所趋 (dà shì suǒ qū) — an inevitable trend; the general course of events

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning 'an inevitable trend' — used in writing and speeches to frame a development as unstoppable, often justifying action. Read as a single fixed phrase, not parsed word-by-word.

idiom
an inevitable trendthe general course of events

Examples

  • 大势所趋。
    Jīng jì quán qiú huà shì lì shǐ dà shì suǒ qū.
    Economic globalization is an inevitable historical trend.
  • 大势所趋，。
    Huán jìng bǎo hù yǐ chéng wéi dà shì suǒ qū, gè guó dōu zài xíng dòng.
    Environmental protection has become an irresistible trend, and countries are all taking action.
  • ，大势所趋。
    Suī rán yǒu rén fǎn duì, dàn dà shì suǒ qū bù kě gǎi biàn.
    Although some people oppose it, the general trend cannot be changed.

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.

大势big trend
大dàbig势shìtrend
偏正Modifier + head
所趋what it tends toward
所suǒwhat趋qūtend
主谓Subject + predicate

大势 means the big trend; 所趋 means what it tends toward, giving an inevitable course.

Characters in this word

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

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

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 →

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
斤斤jīnaxe
Sound part声符shēngfú
戶
戶hù所suǒ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

所 pairs 斤, an axe, with 戶, which gives the sound hù; the old meaning was the sound of logging.

Open 所 →

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 趨; 趋 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
芻
芻chú趨qū
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 趨 pairs 走, a walking/running part, with 芻 as a sound part; the simplified 趋 is a later shorthand.

Open 趋 →

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