肝肠寸断

肝腸寸斷
gānchángcùnduàn
idiom #53,530

Meanings

  1. 1 liver and guts cut to pieces
  2. 2 heartbroken beyond words
  3. 3 grief-stricken

Examples

Tīng dào èhào, tā gān cháng cùn duàn.
When she heard the terrible news, she was utterly heartbroken.
Mǔqīn shīqù érzi hòu gān cháng cùn duàn.
The mother was shattered with grief after losing her son.
Zhè shǒu gē ràng duōshǎo yóuzǐ gān cháng cùn duàn.
How many travelers abroad have been moved to tears by this song.

Tips

history
Echoes 《战国·》: Jing Ke, about to set out to assassinate the king of Qin, tells a friend his insides will be cut inch by inch. In Chinese, deep grief is anatomical — it literally tears up the internal organs.

Stroke Order

gān
cháng
cùn
duàn