每天成语
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孤注一掷

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: gū zhù yī zhì
  • English Translation: To stake everything on a single throw (to go for broke)
  • Idiom Composition: 「孤」（Single or sole (referring to the last remaining stake)）＋「注」（Stake or bet (money placed in gambling)）＋「一」（One or single）＋「掷」（To throw or cast (referring to dice)）
  • Meaning: To risk all of one's resources or remaining strength on a single venture during a crisis, much like a gambler betting their entire fortune on one final roll of the dice. It describes a high-stakes situation where failure results in total loss.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「孤注一掷」 contains the following nuances:

  • High Risk, High Reward: The idiom emphasizes taking a dangerous gamble to break through a stalemate, with no guarantee of success and the potential for total ruin.
  • Desperate Circumstances: It is typically used when a person feels they have no other options left, making a decision out of necessity rather than a balanced choice.
  • Derogatory Nuance: While it can describe a heroic last stand, it is frequently used to criticize reckless behavior or the irrationality of a 'gambler's' desperation.

3. Usage

「孤注一掷」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Business & Investment: Used when a company on the brink of failure makes an extremely high-risk management decision, such as betting all remaining capital on a single project.
    • Example:「这家公司决定孤注一掷，把所有资金都投入到新产品的研发中。」
      （The company decided to go for broke by investing all its capital into the research and development of a new product.)
  • Life Decisions: Used when someone makes a life-altering decision, often abandoning stability to pursue a dream against all odds.
    • Example:「他不顾家人的反对，孤注一掷地辞职去创业了。」
      （Ignoring his family's objections, he staked everything on a single throw by resigning to start his own business.)
  • Sports & Competition: Used when a team or coach adopts a high-risk, aggressive tactic to overturn a losing situation in the final moments.
    • Example:「比赛只剩最后几分钟，教练决定孤注一掷，换上了全部进攻球员。」
      （With only minutes left in the game, the coach decided to make a last-ditch gamble by putting in all the offensive players.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 与其坐以待毙，不如孤注一掷，或许还有一线生机。
    （Rather than sitting and waiting for death, it is better to risk everything on one last effort; there might still be a slim chance of survival.）
  2. 他在赌场上输红了眼，最后孤注一掷，结果输得精光。
    （Having lost heavily at the casino, he lost his reason and staked everything on a final bet, only to end up completely penniless.）
  3. 这是一个孤注一掷的计划，一旦失败，后果不堪设想。
    （This is a go-for-broke plan; if it fails, the consequences will be unimaginable.）
  4. 为了挽回名誉，他选择了孤注一掷。
    （To redeem his reputation, he chose to make one last desperate gamble.）
  5. 别总是想着孤注一掷，稳扎稳打才是长久之计。
    （Don't always think about staking everything on a single throw; steady progress is the secret to long-term success.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Origin: This idiom comes from the History of Song (宋史) in the biography of Kou Zhun (寇准). When the Song Dynasty (宋朝) was under threat from invaders, Chancellor Kou Zhun (寇准) urged Emperor Zhenzong (真宗) to lead the army personally. A political rival, Wang Qinruo (王钦若), criticized this move by saying Kou Zhun (寇准) was treating the Emperor like a 'sole stake' (孤注) in a 'single throw' (一掷) of a gamble.
  • Nuance: Originally, the term was used as a criticism of a reckless gamble that endangered the sovereign. In modern English contexts, it is similar to 'putting all your eggs in one basket,' but with a much stronger sense of desperation and impending crisis.
  • Comparison: While 破釜沉舟 (pò fǔ chén zhōu) also describes a 'do or die' determination, it carries a positive, heroic connotation of cutting off retreat to ensure victory. In contrast, 孤注一掷 (gū zhù yī zhì) focuses on the high-risk, gambling nature of the action and is often viewed more critically.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 孤注一掷 (gū zhù yī zhì) refers to making an all-or-nothing gamble when pushed into a corner. It characterizes a desperate last-ditch effort where one puts everything on the line for a chance at a breakthrough. While it can represent a bold decision, it is often used to describe reckless or desperate behavior.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Pre-Level 1

Idiom Essay

gū zhù yí zhì
孤注一掷
Risking Everything on a Single Throw
shēng huó生活zhōng中，dà duō shù大多数shí hòu时候，wǒ men我们dōu都xǐ huān喜欢gěi给zì jǐ自己liú留yī tiáo一条tuì lù退路。

In life, most of the time, we like to leave ourselves a way out.

zuò做jué dìng决定shí时，wǒ men我们huì会yǒu有“B jì huàB计划”；chū mén出门shí时，wǒ men我们huì会dài带yī bǎ一把bèi yòng备用de的sǎn伞。

When making decisions, we have a "Plan B"; when going out, we bring a spare umbrella.

zhè zhǒng这种“liú yǒu yú dì留有余地”de的zuò fǎ做法，ràng让wǒ men我们gǎn dào感到ān quán安全。

This practice of leaving room for maneuver makes us feel safe.

dàn shì但是，ǒu ěr偶尔huì会yǒu有nà me那么yí gè一个shí kè时刻，nǐ你huì会fā xiàn发现zì jǐ自己bèi被bī逼dào到le了qiáng jiǎo墙角，huò zhě或者miàn lín面临yí gè一个jù dà巨大de的yòu huò诱惑。

However, occasionally there comes a moment when you find yourself backed into a corner or facing a huge temptation.

zhè shí hòu这时候，nǐ你méi yǒu没有tuì lù退路，yě也méi yǒu没有bèi xuǎn备选fāng àn方案。

At this time, you have no way back and no alternative plan.

nǐ你zhǐ néng只能bǎ把shǒu lǐ手里shèng xià剩下de的suǒ yǒu所有dōng xī东西——nǐ你de的jīn qián金钱、nǐ你de的shí jiān时间、shèn zhì甚至nǐ你de的wèi lái未来——quán bù全部ná拿chū lái出来，dǔ赌zhè这zuì hòu最后yī cì一次jī huì机会。

You can only take everything you have left—your money, your time, even your future—and bet it all on this one last chance.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常jué jué决绝de的chéng yǔ成语，yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“gū zhù yí zhì孤注一掷”。

In Chinese, there is a very resolute idiom used to describe this state, called 孤注一掷.

zhè ge这个cí词de的huà miàn gǎn画面感hěn很qiáng强，tā它zuì chū最初lái zì来自dǔ bó赌博。

This word has a strong sense of imagery; it originally comes from gambling.

“gū zhù孤注”，yì si意思shì是shǒu lǐ手里shèng xià剩下de的zuì hòu最后yì diǎn一点qián钱，huò zhě或者zuì hòu最后de的yī bǐ一笔dǔ zhù赌注；“yī zhì一掷”，jiù shì就是bǎ把tā它yòng lì用力dì地rēng扔chū qù出去，nǎ pà哪怕zhǐ yǒu只有yī cì一次jī huì机会。

孤注 means the last bit of money left in your hand, or the final stake; 一掷 means to throw it out with all your might, even if there is only one chance.

hé qǐ lái合起来，jiù shì就是bǎ把suǒ yǒu所有de的dǔ zhù赌注yā压zài在zhè这yī bǎ一把shàng上，shū yíng输赢jiù就zài在zhè这yī shùn jiān一瞬间jué dìng决定。

Combined, it means putting all your bets on this one hand, where winning or losing is decided in an instant.

qǐng请zhù yì注意，“gū zhù yí zhì孤注一掷”hé和“nǔ lì努力”shì是bù不yī yàng一样de的。

Please note that 孤注一掷 is different from hard work.

nǔ lì努力，shì是kě yǐ可以xún xù jiàn jìn循序渐进de的；ér而“gū zhù yí zhì孤注一掷”，wǎng wǎng往往dài带zhe着yī zhǒng一种“wēi xiǎn危险”de的wèi dào味道。

Hard work can be done step by step, while 孤注一掷 often carries a scent of danger.

tā它yì wèi zhe意味着jí gāo极高de的fēng xiǎn风险。

It implies extremely high risk.

rú guǒ如果shū输le了，kě néng可能jiù就zhēn de真的shén me什么dōu都méi yǒu没有le了。

If you lose, you might truly have nothing left.

wǒ men我们huì会zài在shén me yàng什么样de的rén人shēn shàng身上kàn dào看到zhè zhǒng这种zhuàng tài状态ne呢？

In what kind of people do we see this state?

yě xǔ也许shì是yí gè一个chuàng yè zhě创业者，mài diào卖掉le了fáng zi房子hé和chē zi车子，bǎ把suǒ yǒu所有de的qián钱dōu都tóu rù投入dào到yí gè一个méi没rén人kàn hǎo看好de的xīn chǎn pǐn新产品lǐ里；yě xǔ也许shì是yí gè一个zài在bǐ sài比赛zuì hòu最后jǐ miǎo zhōng几秒钟luò hòu落后de的yùn dòng yuán运动员，fàng qì放弃le了wěn tuǒ稳妥de的fáng shǒu防守，xuǎn zé选择le了yí gè一个jí极gāo高nán dù难度de的dòng zuò动作qù去jìn gōng进攻。

Perhaps it is an entrepreneur who sells their house and car to put all their money into a new product that no one believes in; perhaps it is an athlete trailing in the final seconds of a game who gives up a safe defense to choose a high-difficulty offensive move.

zài在páng rén旁人kàn lái看来，zhè zhǒng这种xíng wéi行为kě néng可能yǒu diǎn有点fēng kuáng疯狂，shèn zhì甚至yǒu diǎn有点lǔ mǎng鲁莽。

To onlookers, this behavior might seem a bit crazy or even reckless.

dàn但duì yú对于dāng shì rén当事人lái shuō来说，zhè这wǎng wǎng往往shì是tā他zài在jué jìng绝境zhōng中，wéi yī唯一néng能kàn dào看到guāng liàng光亮de的dì fāng地方。

But for the person involved, this is often the only place where they can see light in a desperate situation.

suǒ yǐ所以，dāng当wǒ men我们shuō说yí gè一个rén人zài在“gū zhù yí zhì孤注一掷”shí时，xīn qíng心情tōng cháng通常shì是fù zá复杂de的。

Therefore, when we say someone is 孤注一掷, our feelings are usually complex.

jì既wèi为tā他de的yǒng qì勇气gǎn dào感到jǐn zhāng紧张，yòu又bù dé bù不得不pèi fú佩服zhè zhǒng这种“huō chū qù豁出去”de的jué xīn决心。

We feel nervous for their courage, yet we cannot help but admire the determination to go all out.

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们，shēng huó生活yǒu shí hòu有时候què shí确实xiàng像yī cháng一场dǔ jú赌局。

This idiom reminds us that life sometimes really is like a gamble.

suī rán虽然wǒ men我们bù不gǔ lì鼓励máng mù盲目mào xiǎn冒险，dàn但bù dé bù不得不chéng rèn承认，xǔ duō许多gǎi biàn改变mìng yùn命运de的zhuǎn zhé diǎn转折点，wǎng wǎng往往jiù就fā shēng发生zài在rén men人们jué dìng决定bù zài不再bǎo liú保留、xuǎn zé选择“gū zhù yí zhì孤注一掷”de的nà那yī kè一刻。

Although we do not encourage blind risk-taking, we must admit that many turning points that change destiny often happen at the moment people decide to hold nothing back and choose 孤注一掷.

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