弹尽粮绝 (dàn jìn liáng jué) — to be in a desperate situation with all resources exhausted; to have one's back against the wall

Definition

Literally "ammunition spent, food cut off," this four-character idiom (chéngyǔ) describes a desperate situation where all resources are exhausted.

idiom
to be in a desperate situation with all resources exhaustedto have one's back against the wall

Examples

  • ，弹尽粮绝。
    Gōng sī zī jīn zhōu zhuǎn bù kāi, yǐ jīng dào le dàn jìn liáng jué de dì bù.
    The company's cash flow has stalled, and it's reached a point where all resources are exhausted.
  • ，弹尽粮绝，。
    Tán pàn xiàn rù jiāng jú, shuāng fāng dōu dàn jìn liáng jué, shuí yě bù kěn ràng bù.
    The negotiations reached a deadlock; both sides had exhausted all options and neither would concede.
  • ，弹尽粮绝，。
    Tā wèi le huán zhài sì chù jiè qián, zuì hòu dàn jìn liáng jué, zhǐ néng xuān bù pò chǎn.
    He borrowed money everywhere to pay off debts, but in the end he had exhausted every resource and had to declare bankruptcy.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

弹尽ammunition exhausted
弹tánammunition尽jìnexhausted
主谓Subject + predicate
粮绝food cut off
粮liángfood绝juécut off
主谓Subject + predicate

弹尽 and 粮绝 show ammunition and food exhausted, so the phrase means having no resources left.

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 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōng
Sound part声符shēngfú
單
單dān彈tán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

Open 弹 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 盡; 尽 is its simplified writing.

  • 聿聿yùhand holding a brush
  • 灬灬huǒbristles
  • 皿皿mǐndish

The traditional form 盡 shows 聿 (hand holding a brush) and 灬 (bristles) over 皿 (dish), cleaning a dish until it is empty. The simplified 尽 is a shorthand, not those historical parts.

Open 尽 →

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
米米mǐfood
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng粮liáng
Same sound today

粮 puts 米 (food) beside 良, which gives the sound liáng.

Open 粮 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絕; 绝 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 絕, 刀 (knife) and 幺 (silk) show a knife cutting silk threads. The simplified 绝 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original picture.

Open 绝 →

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