一波三折

yībō-sānzhé
idiom #49,423

Meanings

  1. 1 one wave with three bends
  2. 2 full of twists and turns; many setbacks

Examples

Zhè chǎng tánpàn yībō-sānzhé.
The negotiation had many twists and turns.
Tā de qiúzhí zhī lù yībō-sānzhé.
His job search was full of setbacks.
Diànyǐng jùqíng yībō-sānzhé, kòurén-xīnxián.
The film's plot has many twists and keeps you hooked.

Tips

history
Originally a calligraphy term — 王羲之 of the Jin dynasty wrote in his 《题卫夫人笔阵图》 that every stroke (一波) should contain three bends (三折) to give it life. Later extended to mean 'many turns' in events generally.

Stroke Order

sān
zhé