扭转乾坤

扭轉乾坤

niǔzhuǎn-qiánkūn

idiom #26,468

Meanings

1 to reverse the situation completely
2 to turn the tide
3 to transform a hopeless situation
4 to change the course of events dramatically

Characters

to twist; to turn

to turn; to rotate; to change

heaven; the first hexagram in the I Ching

earth; the second hexagram in the I Ching

Examples

他们在最后关头扭转乾坤，赢得了比赛。

Tāmen zài zuìhòu guāntóu niǔzhuǎnqiánkūn, yíngdé le bǐsài.

They turned the tide at the last moment and won the match.

新领导上任后，公司的命运被扭转乾坤。

Xīn lǐngdǎo shàngrèn hòu, gōngsī de mìngyùn bèi niǔzhuǎnqiánkūn.

After the new leader took office, the fate of the company was completely reversed.

没有人能凭一己之力扭转乾坤。

Méiyǒu rén néng píng yījǐ zhī lì niǔzhuǎnqiánkūn.

No one can single-handedly turn the entire situation around.

Tips

history

乾坤 (qiánkūn) refers to Heaven and Earth from the I Ching (Book of Changes). To 'twist Heaven and Earth' means to achieve a change so dramatic it is like reshaping the cosmos.

Stroke Order

扭 niǔ

转 zhuǎn

乾 qián

坤 kūn