Hanzi Now
CharactersIdiomsChinese NameFlashcards
Tools

Visual content

  • Chinese Text Image GeneratorCreate PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes
  • Stroke Order AnimatorTurn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
  • Character Highlight AnimatorChoose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
  • Chinese Text Morph AnimatorTurn one Chinese character, word or phrase into another; download SVG, MP4 or WebM

Audio content

  • Chinese Text to SpeechRead Chinese aloud with karaoke highlighting

Teaching materials

  • Writing WorksheetsPrintable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
  • Bingo CardsPicture and word Bingo for your class
  • Picture WorksheetsChinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets

Other

  • Pinyin GeneratorConvert Chinese text to pinyin with tone marks
  • Chinese Zodiac CalculatorFind your animal sign from your birth date and make a zodiac card.
  • Chinese Word CounterCount characters, words and sentences in Chinese text
View all tools →
成也萧何,败也萧何
成也萧何,败也萧何
成也萧何,败也萧何
成也萧何,败也萧何
成也萧何,败也萧何
成也萧何,败也萧何
成也萧何,败也萧何
成也萧何,败也萧何

成也萧何,败也萧何 — “Success or failure, both are attributed to the same person”

成也萧何,败也萧何 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Success or failure, both are attributed to the same person”. Referring to a situation where an individual is responsible for both the favorable and unfavorable outcomes of a matter. Literally, “Success due to Xiao He, failure also due to Xiao He”.

Frequency

成也萧何,败也萧何 Pronunciation and Pinyin

成也萧何,败也萧何 Character Breakdown

CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
成
chéng7to become or succeed
也
yě3also, too, as well
萧
xiāo12desolate, bleak, withered
何
hé7what why how where
,,—
败
bài8lose, fail, defeat, ruin
也
yě3also, too, as well
萧
xiāo12desolate, bleak, withered
何
hé7what why how where

Example Sentence with 成也萧何,败也萧何

这个项目的兴衰,真是成也王经理败也王经理,所有的关键决策都出自他手。
The rise and fall of this project truly boiled down to Manager Wang; all key decisions originated from him.

Origin and Story of 成也萧何,败也萧何

Towards the end of the Qin Dynasty, Han Xin, after failing to gain recognition under Xiang Yu, turned to Liu Bang. Feeling unvalued, he left. When Xiao He learned of this, he pursued and brought Han Xin back during the night. Liu Bang then made Han Xin the King of Qi.

However, fearing Han Xin might revolt, Liu Bang later demoted him to Marquis of Huaiyin and stripped him of his military authority.

While Liu Bang was personally campaigning against Chen Xi, Empress Lü asked Xiao He to devise a plan to trick Han Xin into Weiyang Palace, where he was then executed.

Idioms Related to 成也萧何,败也萧何

Synonyms of 成也萧何,败也萧何

  • chéng成yě也xiāo萧hé何bài败xiāo萧hé何success and failure from the same source

More idioms starting with 成

  • chéng成yī一jiā家yán言form one's own school of thought
  • chéng成shì事bù不shuō说Do not comment on what is done
  • chéng成shì事bù不zú足,,huài坏shì事yǒu有yú余more apt to spoil than succeed
  • chéng成shì事bù不zú足,,bài败shì事yǒu有yú余more likely to spoil than succeed
  • chéng成rén人bù不zì自zai在,,zì自zai在bù不chéng成rén人No pain, no gain
  • chéng成rén人zhī之shàn善help others achieve good
  • chéng成rén人zhī之měi美Help others achieve their goals
  • chéng成rén仁qǔ取yì义sacrifice life for righteousness
  • chéng成hé何tǐ体tǒng统How improper! What an outrage!
  • chéng成fó佛zuò作zǔ祖achieve outstanding accomplishments
  • chéng成zé则wèi为wáng王,,bài败zé则wèi为kòu寇Success makes a king, failure a bandit

Recommended tools

Chinese Text Image Generator

Create PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes

Open the tool →

Writing Worksheets

Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion

Open the tool →

Picture Worksheets

Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets

Open the tool →

Stroke Order Animator

Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4

Open the tool →

Questions about 成也萧何,败也萧何

What does 成也萧何,败也萧何 mean?

成也萧何,败也萧何 (chéng yě xiāo hé , bài yě xiāo hé) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Success or failure, both are attributed to the same person”.

How do you pronounce 成也萧何,败也萧何?

成也萧何,败也萧何 is pronounced chéng yě xiāo hé , bài yě xiāo hé in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 成也萧何,败也萧何 literally mean?

Literally, 成也萧何,败也萧何 means “Success due to Xiao He, failure also due to Xiao He”. It is used to mean “Success or failure, both are attributed to the same person”.

Where does 成也萧何,败也萧何 come from?

成也萧何,败也萧何 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 成也萧何,败也萧何?

萧何:汉高祖刘邦的丞相。成事由于萧何,败事也由于萧何。比喻事情的成功和失败都是由这一个人造成的。

Hanzi Now

Explore the charm of Chinese language

Explore

  • Characters
  • Idioms
  • Chinese Names
  • Flashcards

Tools

  • Chinese Text Image Generator
  • Stroke Order Animator
  • Character Highlight Animator
  • Bingo Cards
  • Picture Worksheets
  • All Tools

More

  • Blog
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
© 2026 Hanzi NowContact Us