过关斩将

過關斬將

guòguān-zhǎnjiàng

idiom #35,544

Meanings

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

Characters

pass; checkpoint

to behead; slay

Examples

HSK 4

找工作就像过关斩将，每一轮面试都是挑战。

Zhǎo gōngzuò jiù xiàng guòguān-zhǎnjiàng, měi yī lún miànshì dōu shì tiǎozhàn.

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

HSK 5

她一路过关斩将，闯进了决赛。

Tā yīlù guòguān-zhǎnjiàng, chuǎng jìn le juésài.

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

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