无往不胜 (wú wǎng bú shèng) — ever-victorious; invincible; to never fail in any endeavor

Definition

A formal chengyu meaning 'always victorious, never failing' — used for armies, competitors, or strategies that win every time. Stronger and more literary than everyday 总是赢.

idiom
ever-victoriousinvincibleto never fail in any endeavor

Examples

  • 无往不胜，。
    Zhè zhī jūn duì wú wǎng bú shèng, dǎ le hěn duō shèng zhàng.
    This army was ever-victorious and won many battles.
  • 无往不胜，。
    Tā zài bǐ sài zhōng wú wǎng bú shèng, lián xù huò dé le wǔ cì guàn jūn.
    He was invincible in competitions, winning five consecutive championships.
  • 无往不胜，。
    Zhè ge gōng sī de yíng xiāo cè lüè wú wǎng bú shèng, měi cì dōu dà huò chéng gōng.
    This company's marketing strategy is ever-victorious, succeeding every time.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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
止止zhǐfoot
Sound part声符shēngfú
王
王wáng往wǎng
Same sound today

The form that became 往 paired 止, a foot, with 王 for the sound; a stepping part was later added, and the right side changed.

Open 往 →

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
生
生shēng胜shèng
Same sound today

The simplified 胜 changes the traditional 勝 by replacing part of its sound side with 生; the left 肉 relates to meat.

Open 胜 →

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