諺語 · a single proverb
孤注一擲
Simplified: 孤注一掷
What does 孤注一擲 (gū zhù yī zhì) mean?
孤注一擲 (gū zhù yī zhì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "placing everything on a single throw." In use it means: Risking everything on one chance; the desperate or calculated decision to put all resources into a single attempt. 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: "placing everything on a single throw."
The reading
The pile is on one number. There is no second bet. If this works, everything changes. If it does not, everything changes in the other direction. The person who makes this bet is not always desperate. Sometimes they have simply calculated that the risk of not betting is higher than the risk of betting everything.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common literary expression; Records of the Grand Historian tradition
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 Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 孤注一擲 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 孤注一擲 (gū zhù yī zhì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Common literary expression; Records of the Grand Historian tradition. 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 孤注一擲?
In Mandarin it is gū zhù yī zhì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 孤注一擲 aloud in Mandarin.