每天成语
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家破人亡

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: jiā pò rén wáng
  • English Translation: Family ruined and members dead or scattered
  • Idiom Composition: 「家」（Home, family, or household property.）＋「破」（Broken, ruined, or bankrupted.）＋「人」（People, specifically referring to the family members.）＋「亡」（Dead, perished, or fled and lost.）
  • Meaning: A state where a family is completely destroyed, with its property lost and its members either dead or dispersed. It describes the ultimate tragedy caused by war, natural disasters, or destructive vices.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「家破人亡」 contains the following nuances:

  • Extreme Tragedy: This idiom does not just imply poverty or conflict; it signifies a catastrophic blow where lives are lost and the physical home is destroyed.
  • Severity of Causes: It is typically associated with uncontrollable forces like war and natural disasters, or self-inflicted ruin through addictions like gambling or drug abuse.

3. Usage

「家破人亡」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • War or Natural Disasters: Used to emphasize the tragic situation of victims when describing the cruelty of war or the terror of natural disasters.
    • Example:「那场残酷的战争导致无数百姓家破人亡，流离失所。」
      （That cruel war caused countless civilians to be ruined and scattered, leaving them homeless and displaced.)
  • Warning Against Vices: Frequently used as a cautionary tale regarding the worst possible outcomes of gambling, drug use, or reckless investment.
    • Example:「沉迷赌博最终只会让人落得个家破人亡的下场。」
      （Indulging in gambling will only lead to a person's total family ruin in the end.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 为了不再重演家破人亡的历史悲剧，我们必须珍惜和平。
    （To prevent the historical tragedy of families being torn apart and destroyed from happening again, we must cherish peace.）
  2. 他因吸毒耗尽家产，最后弄得家破人亡。
    （He exhausted the family fortune on drugs, eventually leading to the death of his family and the loss of his home.）
  3. 洪水过后，许多村民面临着家破人亡的困境。
    （After the flood, many villagers faced the dire situation of having their homes destroyed and their loved ones perish.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The phrase appears in historical texts such as the Book of Jin (晋书) in the biography of Wen Qiao (温峤). While it occasionally appears in Zen Buddhist texts like the Records of the Transmission of the Lamp (景德传灯录) to metaphorically describe shedding worldly attachments, in modern usage, it is exclusively a negative term for devastating misfortune.
  • In Chinese culture, the 'Family' (家 - jiā) is the fundamental pillar of society. Therefore, 家破人亡 (jiā pò rén wáng) represents the most profound level of personal and social failure or tragedy possible.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

家破人亡 (jiā pò rén wáng) is a powerful idiom used to describe the total collapse of a household. It signifies a level of tragedy beyond mere poverty, where the family unit is physically and socially obliterated. It is often used as a stern warning against destructive behaviors like gambling or as a poignant description of the horrors of war.

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

Idiom Essay

jiā pò rén wáng
家破人亡
A Family Ruined and Scattered
zài在wǒ men我们xīn zhōng心中，“jiā家”tōng cháng通常dài biǎo代表zhe着ān quán安全、wēn nuǎn温暖hé和guī sù归宿。

In our hearts, "home" usually represents safety, warmth, and a sense of belonging.

wú lùn无论wài miàn外面fēng yǔ风雨duō多dà大，zhǐ yào只要huí dào回到jiā家，xīn心jiù就néng能dìng xià lái定下来。

No matter how heavy the storm is outside, as long as you return home, your heart can find peace.

dàn shì但是，zhōng wén中文lǐ里yǒu有yí gè一个jí qí极其chén zhòng沉重de的chéng yǔ成语，zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种ān quán gǎn安全感chè dǐ彻底xiāo shī消失de的zhuàng tài状态，jiào zuò叫做“jiā pò rén wáng家破人亡”。

However, there is an extremely heavy idiom in Chinese specifically used to describe the state where this sense of security completely disappears, called 家破人亡.

zhè这sì gè四个zì字，zì miàn字面yì si意思fēi cháng非常zhí bái直白，què却yě也hěn很cán kù残酷。

These four characters are very literal in meaning, yet also very cruel.

“jiā pò家破”，shì是jiā tíng家庭pò suì破碎，fáng zi房子yě xǔ也许hái还zài在，dàn但zuò wéi作为“jiā家”de的nà ge那个zhěng tǐ整体yǐ jīng已经bù不cún zài存在le了；“rén wáng人亡”，yì wèi zhe意味着qīn rén亲人lí sàn离散huò zhě或者qù shì去世。

家破 means the family is broken; the house might still be there, but the entity of "home" no longer exists. 人亡 means that loved ones are scattered or have passed away.

hé合zài在yì qǐ一起，tā它miáo shù描述de的bù jǐn jǐn不仅仅shì是pín qióng贫穷huò或dǎo méi倒霉，ér shì而是rén shēng人生zhōng中zuì最dà大de的bēi jù悲剧——nǐ你shī qù失去le了zuì hòu最后de的bì fēng gǎng避风港，yě也shī qù失去le了zài在zhè ge这个shì jiè世界shàng上zuì最qīn mì亲密de的rén人。

Together, it describes not just poverty or bad luck, but the greatest tragedy in life—losing your final harbor and the people closest to you in this world.

wǒ men我们tōng cháng通常zài在shén me什么qíng kuàng情况xià下huì会tīng dào听到zhè ge这个cí词ne呢？

In what situations do we usually hear this term?

yī zhǒng一种qíng kuàng情况shì是zài在lì shǐ历史gù shì故事huò或zhàn zhēng战争diàn yǐng电影lǐ里。

One situation is in historical stories or war movies.

dāng当jù dà巨大de的zāi nàn灾难huò或zhàn luàn战乱fā shēng发生shí时，gè rén个人de的lì liàng力量tài太miǎo xiǎo渺小le了，yuán běn原本xìng fú幸福de的jiā tíng家庭shùn jiān瞬间fēn bēng lí xī分崩离析。

When a massive disaster or war occurs, individual strength is too small, and originally happy families fall apart in an instant.

zhè shí hòu这时候，“jiā pò rén wáng家破人亡”shì是duì对nà ge那个shí dài时代zuì最bēi cǎn悲惨de的zhù jiǎo注脚。

In these moments, 家破人亡 is the most tragic footnote to that era.

lìng另yī zhǒng一种qíng kuàng情况，zé则wǎng wǎng往往dài带zhe着jǐng shì警示de的yì wèi意味。

Another situation often carries a sense of warning.

zài在xiàn dài现代shēng huó生活zhōng中，rén men人们cháng yòng常用tā它lái来xíng róng形容nà xiē那些yīn wèi因为jí dù极度de的tān lán贪婪huò或cuò wù错误de的zhí niàn执念ér而dǎo zhì导致de的hòu guǒ后果。

In modern life, people often use it to describe consequences caused by extreme greed or wrong obsessions.

bǐ rú比如，yí gè一个rén人chén mí沉迷dǔ bó赌博，huò zhě或者wèi le为了zhuī qiú追求bù yì zhī cái不义之财ér而mào xiǎn冒险，zuì hòu最后bù jǐn不仅shū guāng输光le了cái fù财富，hái还lián lěi连累le了jiā rén家人，dǎo zhì导致wú fǎ无法wǎn huí挽回de的jié jú结局。

For example, if someone is addicted to gambling or risks everything for ill-gotten gains, they eventually lose not only their wealth but also implicate their family, leading to an irreversible end.

suǒ yǐ所以，“jiā pò rén wáng家破人亡”zhè ge这个cí词，fèn liàng分量jí极zhòng重。

Therefore, the term 家破人亡 carries immense weight.

tā它tōng cháng通常bú huì不会yòng lái用来xíng róng形容pǔ tōng普通de的kùn nán困难。

It is usually not used to describe ordinary difficulties.

tā它shì是yí gè一个zhōng jí终极de的dǐ xiàn底线，tí xǐng提醒zhe着wǒ men我们：wú lùn无论zhuī qiú追求shén me什么，dōu都bú yào不要yǐ以xī shēng牺牲jiā tíng家庭de的ān wěn安稳wèi为dài jià代价。

It is an ultimate bottom line, reminding us: no matter what you pursue, do not do it at the cost of sacrificing your family's stability.

suī rán虽然zhè这shì是yí gè一个wǒ men我们zuì最bù不xī wàng希望yòng用dào到de的chéng yǔ成语，dàn但tā它de的cún zài存在běn shēn本身jiù shì就是yī zhǒng一种tí xǐng提醒。

Although this is an idiom we hope never to use, its existence itself is a reminder.

zhèng正yīn wèi因为zhī dào知道“jiā pò rén wáng家破人亡”yǒu有duō me多么qī liáng凄凉，wǒ men我们cái才huì会zài在měi每yí gè一个pǔ tōng普通de的rì zi日子lǐ里，gèng jiā更加zhēn xī珍惜nà ge那个kàn shì看似píng dàn平淡、què却wán zhěng完整wú quē无缺de的jiā家。

Precisely because we know how desolate 家破人亡 is, we cherish our seemingly ordinary but intact homes even more in our daily lives.

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