一夫当关 yī fū dāng guān One man guards the pass

Explanation

这个成语形容地势非常险要，易守难攻。一夫指的是一个士兵，当关指的是守住关口。意思是说，即使只有一个士兵守住关口，也能够抵挡住成千上万的敌人。

This idiom describes a strategically very important position, which is easy to defend and difficult to capture. "One man" refers to a soldier, "guarding the pass" refers to guarding a pass. It means that even a single soldier can guard a pass and repel tens of thousands of enemies.

Origin Story

话说三国时期，蜀汉丞相诸葛亮率领大军北伐，在祁山与魏军对峙。魏军势大，诸葛亮派大将魏延镇守险要的街亭，命令他死守，不许魏军前进一步。魏延是诸葛亮麾下的一员猛将，他接到命令后，便率领士兵坚守街亭，魏延作战勇猛，士兵训练有素，再加上街亭地势险要，魏军几次进攻都被他们击退。 魏延一夫当关，万夫莫开，守住了街亭，保证了诸葛亮大军的安全，也为蜀汉的北伐赢得了宝贵的时间。

huì shuō sān guó shí qī, shǔ hàn chéng xiàng zhū gě liàng shuài lǐng dà jūn běi fá, zài qí shān yǔ wèi jūn duì zhì. wèi jūn shì dà, zhū gě liàng pài dà jiàng wèi yán zhèn shǒu xiǎn yào de jiē tíng, mìng lìng tā sǐ shǒu, bù xǔ wèi jūn qián yī bù. wèi yán shì zhū gě liàng huī xià de yī yuán měng jiàng, tā jiē dào mìng lìng hòu, biàn shuài lǐng bīng shì jiān shǒu jiē tíng, wèi yán zhàn zhàn yǒng měng, bīng shì xùn liàn yǒu sù, zài jiā shàng jiē tíng dì shì xiǎn yào, wèi jūn jǐ cì gōng jī dōu bèi tā men jī tuì. wèi yán yī fū dāng guān, wàn fū mò kāi, shǒu zhù le jiē tíng, bǎo zhèng le zhū gě liàng dà jūn de ān quán, yě wèi shǔ hàn de běi fá yíng dé le bǎo guì de shí jiān.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of Shu Han, led his army on a northern expedition and confronted the Wei army at Qishan. The Wei army was strong, so Zhuge Liang sent his general Wei Yan to defend the strategically important Jie-Ting Pass, ordering him to hold it and not let the Wei army advance a single step. Wei Yan was a brave general under Zhuge Liang, he led his soldiers to protect the Jie-Ting Pass, he fought bravely, his soldiers were well trained, and because the location of Jie-Ting was strategically advantageous, several attacks by the Wei army were repelled. Wei Yan, one man guarding the pass, was invincible, he defended Jie-Ting, secured the safety of Zhuge Liang's army and gained valuable time for Shu Han's northern expedition.

Usage

这个成语用于形容地势险要，易守难攻，比如：山海关是万里长城的东端，一夫当关，万夫莫开，是拱卫京师的重要关隘。

zhè ge chéng yǔ yòng yú xíng róng dì shì xiǎn yào, yì shǒu nán gōng, bǐ rú: shān hǎi guān shì wàn lǐ cháng chéng de dōng duān, yī fū dāng guān, wàn fū mò kāi, shì gǒng wèi jīng shī de zhòng yào guān ài.

This idiom is used to describe a strategically very important position, which is easy to defend and difficult to capture, for example: Shanhaiguan is the eastern end of the Great Wall, a strategically important pass where one man can guard the pass and ten thousand men cannot break through.

Examples

• 山海关是万里长城的东端，一夫当关，万夫莫开，是拱卫京师的重要关隘。

  shān hǎi guān shì wàn lǐ cháng chéng de dōng duān, yī fū dāng guān, wàn fū mò kāi, shì gǒng wèi jīng shī de zhòng yào guān ài.

  Shanhaiguan is the eastern end of the Great Wall, a strategically important pass where one man can guard the pass and ten thousand men cannot break through.

• 敌军试图强攻，但我们守军阵地坚固，一夫当关，万夫莫开。

  dí jūn shì tú qiáng gōng, dàn wǒ men shǒu jūn zhèn dì jiān gù, yī fū dāng guān, wàn fū mò kāi。

  The enemy tried to attack by force, but our defenses were strong, one man at the fort, ten thousand men could not break through.

Related Idioms

• 固若金汤

• 易守难攻

Opposite Idioms

• 易攻难守

• 不堪一击