諺語 · a single proverb
一網打盡
Simplified: 一网打尽
What does 一網打盡 (yī wǎng dǎ jìn) mean?
一網打盡 (yī wǎng dǎ jìn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "one net catches them all." In use it means: A single decisive action that captures everything at once; total victory in one sweep. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dragon.
Literally: "one net catches them all."
The reading
The net fell and nothing escaped. This is the dream of every strategist: one action that resolves every problem simultaneously. It happens rarely in nature and more often in retrospect than in planning. But when it does happen, it is because the net was large enough, the timing was right, and the fish were all in the same pool. Study the pool before you cast.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Song dynasty legal usage; common literary and strategic expression
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 Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 一網打盡 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一網打盡 (yī wǎng dǎ jìn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Song dynasty legal usage; common literary and strategic expression. 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 一網打盡?
In Mandarin it is yī wǎng dǎ jìn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一網打盡 aloud in Mandarin.