1 lit. either the fish dies or the net gets torn (idiom)
2 fig. it's a life-and-death struggle
3 it's either him or me
乘风破浪
chéng fēng pò làng
1 to brave the wind and the billows (idiom); to have high ambitions
势如破竹
shì rú pò zhú
1 like a hot knife through butter (idiom)
2 with irresistible force
国破家亡
guó pò jiā wáng
1 the country ruined and the people starving (idiom)
大破大立
dà pò dà lì
1 to destroy the old and establish the new (idiom)
2 radical transformation
家破人亡
jiā pò rén wáng
1 family bankrupt and the people dead (idiom); ruined and orphaned
2 destitute and homeless
打破砂锅问到底
dǎ pò shā guō wèn dào dǐ
1 to go to the bottom of things (idiom)
支离破碎
zhī lí pò suì
1 scattered and smashed (idiom)
看破红尘
kān pò hóng chén
1 to see through the world of mortals (idiom, of Buddhist monk)
2 disillusioned with human society
3 to reject the world for a monastic life
破涕为笑
pò tì wéi xiào
1 to turn tears into laughter (idiom); to turn grief into happiness
破竹之势
pò zhú zhī shì
1 lit. a force to smash bamboo (idiom); fig. irresistible force
破竹建瓴
pò zhú jiàn líng
1 lit. smash bamboo, overturn water tank (idiom); fig. irresistible force
破绽百出
pò zhàn bǎi chū
1 lit. one hundred splits (idiom); fig. full of mistakes (of speech or written article)
破茧成蝶
pò jiǎn chéng dié
1 lit. to break through a cocoon and turn into a butterfly (idiom)
2 fig. to emerge strong after a period of struggle
3 to get to a better place after going through difficult period
破罐破摔
pò guàn pò shuāi
1 lit. to smash a cracked pot (idiom); crazy despair in the face of a blemish, defect, error or setback
破旧立新
pò jiù lì xīn
1 to get rid of the old to bring in the new (idiom); to innovate
破财免灾
pò cái miǎn zāi
1 a financial loss may prevent disaster (idiom)
破釜沉舟
pò fǔ chén zhōu
1 lit. to break the cauldrons and sink the boats (idiom); fig. to cut off one's means of retreat
2 to burn one's boats
破镜重圆
pò jìng chóng yuán
1 a shattered mirror put back together (idiom)
2 (of marriage) to pick up the pieces and start anew
3 for a separated couple to reconcile and reunite
Sample Sentences
Don't worry. I saw through their tricks a long time ago. I wouldn't take so much as a single seed to go gambling. Oh, right-- are those casinos and rooms really extravagant?