付之东流 fù zhī dōng liú let it flow eastward

Explanation

比喻希望落空，成果丧失，前功尽弃，好像随着流水冲走了一样。

It is a metaphor for the loss of hope, the loss of results, and the waste of previous efforts, as if something is washed away by the water.

Origin Story

话说唐朝诗人高适，年轻时怀揣满腔抱负，渴望建功立业。他曾远赴边塞，希望在战场上展现自己的才华，为国家效力。然而，战事平息，他的抱负未能实现，壮志未酬。他黯然神伤，写下“生事应须南亩田，世事尽付东流水”的诗句，表达了功亏一篑的无奈与悲凉。这首诗也成为了“付之东流”这一成语的绝佳注脚。高适的经历告诉我们，人生的道路并非一帆风顺，有时付出再多的努力也可能因为各种原因而付诸东流。面对失败和挫折，我们应该保持积极的心态，总结经验教训，继续前行。

huà shuō táng cháo shī rén gāo shì, nián qīng shí huái chuāi mǎn qiāng bào fù, kě wàng jiàn gōng lì yè. tā céng yuǎn fù biān sài, xī wàng zài zhàn chǎng shàng zhǎn xiàn zì jǐ de cái huá, wèi guó jiā xiào lì. rán ér, zhàn shì píng xī, tā de bào fù wèi néng shí xiàn, zhuàng zhì wèi chóu. tā àn rán shēn shāng, xiě xià “shēng shì yīng xū nán mǔ tián, shì shì jǐn fù dōng liú shuǐ” de shī jù, biǎo dá le gōng kuī yī kuì de wú nài yǔ bēi liáng. zhè shǒu shī yě chéng le “fù zhī dōng liú” zhè yī chéng yǔ de jué jiā zhù jiǎo. gāo shì de jīng lì gào sù wǒ men, rén shēng de dào lù bìng fēi yī fān shùn xù, yǒu shí fù chū zài duō de nǔ lì yě kě néng yīn wèi gè zhǒng yuán yīn ér fù zhū dōng liú. miàn duì shī bài hé cuò zhé, wǒ men yīng gāi bǎo chí jī jí de xīn tài, zǒng jié jīng yàn jiào xùn, jì xù qián xíng

It is said that Gao Shi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, was full of ambition in his youth and aspired to achieve glory and success. He once traveled to the remote border regions, hoping to showcase his talent on the battlefield and serve the country. However, the war ended, and his ambitions remained unfulfilled, his ambition unquenched. Saddened and despondent, he wrote the verses “To do something, one must cultivate a field in the south, the things of the world will flow like water in the east,” to express his despair and sadness over unfulfilled success. This poem became an ideal commentary on the idiom “付之东流”. Gao Shi’s experience teaches us that the path of life is not always smooth, and sometimes even the greatest efforts may come to nothing due to various reasons. In the face of failure and setbacks, we should maintain a positive attitude, learn from mistakes, and keep moving forward.

Usage

常用作谓语、定语；比喻希望落空，成果丧失，前功尽弃。

cháng yòng zuò wèi yǔ, dìng yǔ; bǐ yù xī wàng luò kōng, chéng guǒ sàng shī, qián gōng jìn qì

Often used as a predicate or attributive; it is a metaphor for the loss of hope, the loss of results, and the waste of previous efforts.

Examples

• 多年的努力付诸东流，他感到非常沮丧。

  duō nián de nǔ lì fù zhū dōng liú, tā gǎndào fēi cháng jǔ sàng

  Years of effort were in vain, he felt very frustrated.

• 这场比赛，我们付之东流了，可惜了之前的努力。

  zhè chǎng bǐ sài, wǒ men fù zhī dōng liú le, kě xī le zhī qián de nǔ lì

  In this game, we lost, a pity for the previous efforts.

• 他的计划最终付之东流，令人惋惜。

  tā de jì huà zuì zhōng fù zhī dōng liú, lìng rén wǎn xī

  His plan finally came to nothing, which is a pity..

Related Idioms

• 前功尽弃

• 白费力气

Opposite Idioms

• 功成名就

• 心想事成