泡汤 (pào tāng) — (idiom) to fall through, to come to nothing (pl…

Definition

A colloquial set phrase meaning 'plans fall through'. Literally 'soaked in soup', it pictures a plan dissolving like something dropped into water.

idiom

to fall throughto come to nothing (plans, projects)

。
Wǒ de jì huà pào le tāng.
My plan fell through.
泡汤。
Zhè cì lǚ xíng pào tāng le.
This trip fell through.
，泡汤。
Yīn wèi xià yǔ, wǒ men de yě cān pào tāng le.
Because of rain, our picnic fell through.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

汤tānghot water

The “泡” soak and “汤” hot water suggest plans dissolving and coming to nothing.

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.

氵包泡

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

包

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

泡 combines 氵 (water) and 包, which supplies the sound. It conveys foam.

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 湯; 汤 is its simplified writing.

氵昜湯

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

昜

昜yáng湯tāng

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 汤, the shape explained is 湯: 氵 is water, and 昜 gives the sound.

Appears in