cyun4 gwan1 fuk1 mut6全軍覆沒全军覆没
Jyutpingcyun4 gwan1 fuk1 mut6
Yalechyùnh gwān fūk muth
Definition
To be completely annihilated or wiped out; to suffer a complete failure or total defeat.
- to be completely annihilated; to have the entire army wiped out
- figurativeto suffer a complete failure; to be totally ruined
colloquialother
How it's used
Originally describing a military unit being wiped out, this idiom is now frequently used in casual settings to describe any collective failure. It is common to use it when a group of friends or colleagues all fail to achieve a goal or all lose in a competition. The tone is slightly dramatic, making it perfect for lighthearted complaints about bad luck or poor performance.
Examples
gam1 ci3 haau2 si5 cyun4 gwan1 fuk1 mut6 daai6 gaa1 dou1 m4 hap6 gaak3
今次考試全軍覆沒，大家都唔合格。
Everyone failed the exam this time, it was a total disaster.
nei5 dei6 go2 zou2 hai6 mai6 cyun4 gwan1 fuk1 mut6 aa4
你哋嗰組係咪全軍覆沒呀？
Did your group suffer a total defeat?
Related words
Common phrases
gei1 fu4 cyun4 gwan1 fuk1 mut6
幾乎全軍覆沒
almost completely wiped out
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe a single person failing. It implies that everyone in the group, team, or category mentioned has failed simultaneously.
Tone guide
T1High level
T2High rising
T3Mid level
T4Low falling
T5Low rising
T6Low level
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
