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壮士断腕

壯士斷腕
zhuàngshì-duànwàn
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 a warrior severs his own wrist
  2. 2 to make a painful but decisive sacrifice
  3. 3 to cut losses without hesitation

Examples

HSK 5
公司以壮士断腕的决心进行改革。
Gōngsī yǐ zhuàngshì-duànwàn de juéxīn jìnxíng gǎigé.
The company pushed through reforms with the resolve of a warrior severing his own wrist.
HSK 5
改革需要壮士断腕的勇气。
Gǎigé xūyào zhuàngshì-duànwàn de yǒngqì.
Reform requires the courage to cut off a limb to save the body.
HSK 6
面对亏损业务，他做出壮士断腕的决定。
Miànduì kuīsǔn yèwù, tā zuòchū zhuàngshì-duànwàn de juédìng.
Facing the loss-making division, he made the painful but decisive call to cut it off.

Tips

history
From 唐 dynasty 窦皐's 《述书赋》: 壮士断腕以全质, 'the warrior severs his wrist to preserve the whole body.' Based on the older image of a man bitten by a venomous snake who amputates to stop the poison. The phrase became a political-reform cliché in modern China, often used by leaders to signal tough economic decisions.
usage
Strongly positive: praises the courage to accept a major loss in exchange for survival. Used for business restructuring, political reform, personal life choices. Stronger and more dramatic than 当机立断.

Stroke Order

壮 zhuàng
士 shì
断 duàn
腕 wàn