鸡飞蛋打
鸡飞蛋打 (jī fēi dàn dǎ) literally means “chicken flies away and eggs broken” and expresses “to lose everything; complete failure”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.
Also searched as: ji fei dan da, ji fei dan da,鸡飞蛋打 meaning, 鸡飞蛋打 in english
To lose everything; complete failure
Pronunciation: jī fēi dàn dǎ Literal meaning: Chicken flies away and eggs broken
Origin & Usage
The hen (鸡) gets away (飞) and the eggs (蛋) are broken (打) in the grab. The arithmetic is the whole point: the person did not merely fail to gain, they destroyed what they already had in the course of reaching for more. That separates it from ordinary loss and from ordinary greed, and it is the standard Chinese verdict on a deal that collapsed and took the existing arrangement down with it. It is said with very little sympathy, because the reaching was optional.
Examples
English: "His reckless investment left him with nothing - the chicken flew and the eggs broke."
Chinese: 他冒险的投资让他鸡飞蛋打，一无所有。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
呆若木鸡
dāi ruò mù jī
Completely stunned or dumbfounded
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闻鸡起舞
wén jī qǐ wǔ
Practice with determination
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鹤立鸡群
hè lì jī qún
Stand out from crowd
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杀鸡取卵
shā jī qǔ luǎn
Sacrifice long-term benefits for short-term gains
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精打细算
jīng dǎ xì suàn
Calculate carefully; be frugal and precise
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稳扎稳打
wěn zhā wěn dǎ
Proceed steadily; consolidate before advancing
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打草惊蛇
dǎ cǎo jīng shé
Alert the enemy
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趁火打劫
chèn huǒ dǎ jié
Exploit vulnerability
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 鸡飞蛋打 mean in English?
鸡飞蛋打 (jī fēi dàn dǎ) literally translates to “Chicken flies away and eggs broken” and is used to express “To lose everything; complete failure”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 鸡飞蛋打 used?
Situation: His reckless investment left him with nothing - the chicken flew and the eggs broke.
What is the pinyin for 鸡飞蛋打?
The pinyin pronunciation for 鸡飞蛋打 is “jī fēi dàn dǎ”.