鱼死网破 (yú sǐ wǎng pò) — fight to the death; a desperate struggle in which both sides may be destroyed

Definition

A chengyu for a mutually destructive 'lose-lose' showdown where both sides perish like the fish and the broken net. Implies the conflict is already or will become total and fatal.

idiom
fight to the deatha desperate struggle in which both sides may be destroyed

Examples

  • ，鱼死网破。
    Shuāng fāng dōu bù kěn ràng bù, zuì hòu pīn le gè yú sǐ wǎng pò.
    Neither side would give in, and in the end they fought to the death.
  • 鱼死网破。
    Tā yǐ jīng zuò hǎo le yú sǐ wǎng pò de zhǔn bèi.
    He has already prepared for a fight to the death.
  • 鱼死网破。
    Zhè chǎng jìng zhēng zhù dìng shì yú sǐ wǎng pò de jié jú.
    This competition is destined to end in mutual destruction.

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.

鱼死fish dies
鱼yúfish死sǐdie
主谓Subject + predicate
网破net breaks
网wǎngnet破pòbreak
主谓Subject + predicate

鱼死 suggests fish dies and 网破 suggests net breaks, yielding mutual destruction.

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 魚; 鱼 is its simplified writing.

For 鱼, the traditional form 魚 is a picture of a fish.

Open 鱼 →

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
歹歹dǎi
Sound part声符shēngfú
尸
尸shī死sǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

死 is built from 歹 and 尸: 歹 is the part tied to the meaning, and 尸 gives the sound.

Open 死 →

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 網; 网 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìrope
Sound part声符shēngfú
罔
罔wǎng網wǎng
Same sound today

The traditional form 網 pairs 糸 (rope) with 罔 to give the sound; the simplified 网 is a later shorthand.

Open 网 →

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
石石shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
皮
皮pí破pò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

破 has 石 (stone) as its meaning part and 皮 as its sound part.

Open 破 →

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