諺語 · a single proverb
破釜沉舟
What does 破釜沉舟 (pò fǔ chén zhōu) mean?
破釜沉舟 (pò fǔ chén zhōu) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "break the cauldrons, sink the boats." In use it means: Commit fully with no line of retreat. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Horse.
Literally: "break the cauldrons, sink the boats."
The reading
There is a kind of decision you keep half-making, leaving one boat tied at the bank so you can row back to who you were. You already know that boat is the reason you have not crossed. Burn it, and the far shore stops being a maybe.
The story
From the Records of the Grand Historian. Before the Battle of Julu, the general Xiang Yu led his army across the river, then ordered the cooking cauldrons smashed and the boats sunk, leaving each soldier only three days of rations and no way back. With retreat made impossible, his outnumbered men fought with the desperation of the committed and shattered the Qin army.
Find the boat you have quietly kept tied at the bank, the fallback that lets you row back to who you were, and admit it is the reason you have not crossed. Burn that one option, and watch the far shore stop being a maybe.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Records of the Grand Historian 史記
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rooster, Year of the Tiger, and Year of the Snake.
Questions
Is 破釜沉舟 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 破釜沉舟 (pò fǔ chén zhōu) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Records of the Grand Historian 史記. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 破釜沉舟?
In Mandarin it is pò fǔ chén zhōu. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 破釜沉舟 aloud in Mandarin.