落花流水
落花流水 (luò huā liú shuǐ) literally means “falling flowers and flowing water” and expresses “utter defeat; scattered in disarray”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving strategy and action.
Also searched as: luo hua liu shui, luo hua liu shui,落花流水 meaning, 落花流水 in english
Utter defeat; scattered in disarray
Pronunciation: luò huā liú shuǐ Literal meaning: Falling flowers and flowing water
Origin & Usage
Falling (落) blossom (花) on flowing (流) water (水). It begins as a lyric image of late spring in Tang poetry, and it is worth noticing how completely the sense inverted: the same picture of petals broken off and carried away came to describe an army routed. Chinese now uses it almost exclusively for defeat, in the construction 打得落花流水, beaten to falling blossom and running water. The original melancholy survives only in deliberately literary writing.
Examples
English: "The army was utterly defeated and scattered in all directions."
Chinese: 军队被打得落花流水，四处逃散。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about strategy & action
光明磊落
guāng míng lěi luò
Upright and open; above board
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源远流长
yuán yuǎn liú cháng
Having deep roots and long history
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妙笔生花
miào bǐ shēng huā
Exceptional literary or artistic talent
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高山流水
gāo shān liú shuǐ
Perfect artistic understanding between friends
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水落石出
shuǐ luò shí chū
Truth will emerge
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无可奈何
wú kě nài hé
Helpless; having no alternative
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自以为是
zì yǐ wéi shì
Self-righteous; opinionated
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画地为牢
huà dì wéi láo
Self-imposed restrictions; limiting oneself
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 落花流水 mean in English?
落花流水 (luò huā liú shuǐ) literally translates to “Falling flowers and flowing water” and is used to express “Utter defeat; scattered in disarray”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Strategy & Action category.
When is 落花流水 used?
Situation: The army was utterly defeated and scattered in all directions.
What is the pinyin for 落花流水?
The pinyin pronunciation for 落花流水 is “luò huā liú shuǐ”.