諺語 · a single proverb
沉舟破釜，百二秦關
Simplified: 沉舟破釜，百二秦关
What does 沉舟破釜，百二秦關 (chén zhōu pò fǔ bǎi èr qín guān) mean?
沉舟破釜，百二秦關 (chén zhōu pò fǔ bǎi èr qín guān) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "sink the boats, smash the pots, a hundred and two Qin passes." In use it means: Burn one's bridges to force total commitment; the willingness to destroy retreat leads to great victory. 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 Tiger.
Literally: "sink the boats, smash the pots, a hundred and two Qin passes."
The reading
The army that burned its boats at the shore had nothing to think about but forward. Fear of losing the retreat was converted, in one act of destruction, into the pure force of no alternative. Sometimes the obstacle to full commitment is the path back, and removing it is not recklessness but strategy.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Shi Ji 史記·項羽本紀 (Xiàng Yǔ biography)
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 Tiger, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 沉舟破釜，百二秦關 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 沉舟破釜，百二秦關 (chén zhōu pò fǔ bǎi èr qín guān) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Shi Ji 史記·項羽本紀 (Xiàng Yǔ biography). 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 沉舟破釜，百二秦關?
In Mandarin it is chén zhōu pò fǔ bǎi èr qín guān. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 沉舟破釜，百二秦關 aloud in Mandarin.