过关斩将

過關斬將

guòguānzhǎnjiàng

idiom #35,544

Meanings

1 to pass checkpoints and slay generals (idiom)
2 to overcome obstacle after obstacle on the way to success

Characters

pass; checkpoint

to behead; slay

Examples

她一路过关斩将，闯进了决赛。

Tā yīlù guòguānzhǎnjiàng, chuǎng jìn le juésài.

She fought her way through round after round and reached the final.

找工作就像过关斩将，每一轮面试都是挑战。

Zhǎo gōngzuò jiù xiàng guòguānzhǎnjiàng, měi yī lún miànshì dōu shì tiǎozhàn.

Job hunting is like clearing one boss after another — every interview round is a challenge.

Tips

culture

Abbreviation of 过五关斩六将 (pass five passes and slay six generals), from 《三国演义》: Guan Yu cutting his way through five checkpoints to rejoin Liu Bei. Now used for any competitive journey — sports brackets, exam rounds, job interviews.

Stroke Order

过 guò

关 guān

斩 zhǎn

将 jiāng