箭在弦上，不得不发 — “Arrow on the string, must be shot”
箭在弦上，不得不发 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Once a situation has reached a critical point, action must be taken and there is no turning back; it's a point of no return”. Literally, “Arrow on the string, must be shot”.
箭在弦上，不得不发 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 箭jiàn
- 在zài
- 弦xián
- 上shàng
- ，，
- 不bù
- 得dé
- 不bù
- 发fā
箭在弦上，不得不发 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 箭在弦上，不得不发
Origin and Story of 箭在弦上，不得不发
During the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Yuan Shao sought to attack Cao Cao. He instructed Chen Lin to draft a powerful indictment, 'A Proclamation for Yuan Shao Against Yu Province,' which enumerated Cao Cao's alleged crimes and harshly criticized his lineage.
Later, after Yuan Shao's defeat by Cao Cao in the Battle of Guandu, Chen Lin joined Cao Cao's ranks. Cao Cao questioned Chen Lin about the severe nature of the proclamation. Chen Lin explained that at the time, he was under Yuan Shao's compulsion, and his situation was like 'the arrow on the string,' meaning he had no choice but to comply and write it.
Idioms Related to 箭在弦上，不得不发
Synonyms of 箭在弦上，不得不发
Questions about 箭在弦上，不得不发
- What does 箭在弦上，不得不发 mean?
- 箭在弦上，不得不发 (jiàn zài xián shàng ， bù dé bù fā) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Once a situation has reached a critical point, action must be taken and there is no turning back; it's a point of no return”.
- How do you pronounce 箭在弦上，不得不发?
- 箭在弦上，不得不发 is pronounced jiàn zài xián shàng ， bù dé bù fā in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 箭在弦上，不得不发 literally mean?
- Literally, 箭在弦上，不得不发 means “Arrow on the string, must be shot”. It is used to mean “Once a situation has reached a critical point, action must be taken and there is no turning back; it's a point of no return”.
- Where does 箭在弦上，不得不发 come from?
- 箭在弦上，不得不发 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 箭在弦上，不得不发?
- 箭：弓箭；弦：弓上用以发箭的牛筋绳子。箭已搭在弦上，不得不发射。比喻事情到了不得不采取行动的时候