三国·Three Kingdoms

过关斩将guò guān zhǎn jiàng

What does 过关斩将 mean?

Pass through every gate, defeat every guard — overcome all obstacles by determination and honour

chóngchóngkùnnánzhànshèngyòuàizuìzhōngwánchéngbiāo

Historical origin

This idiom comes from the story of Guan Yu, a general of the Three Kingdoms era, riding alone through enemy territory to find his sworn brother Liu Bei. After learning Liu Bei was alive, Guan Yu bid farewell to Cao Cao, mounted his Red Hare horse, and fought his way through five fortified mountain passes — defeating five generals — until he finally reunited with Liu Bei and Zhang Fei.

关羽 · Guan Yu刘备 · Liu Bei张飞 · Zhang Fei曹操 · Cao Cao

How do you use 过关斩将 in a sentence?

With hard work and courage, our team passed every challenge and finally won the robotics competition.

kàozheyǒngmendetuánduìchuǎngguòdàodàonánguānzuìhòuyínglerénsàizhēnshìguòguānzhǎnjiāng

Common mistake

A common mistake is using this idiom for something easy or ordinary, like finishing simple homework. It should be used for overcoming many difficult obstacles, not for small everyday tasks.

chángjiàncuòshìzhèchéngyòngzàihěnqīngsōnghěntōngdeshìqíngshàngxiěwánjiǎndānzuòyīnggāiyòngláixíngrónghěnduōkùnnánàiérshìchángxiǎoshì

More examples and usage guide

The illustrated storybook

Guan Yu rides a thousand li alone through enemy territory, cutting down every general who stands between him and his sworn brother.

(guān)()(qiān)()(zǒu)(dān)()(guò)()(guān)(zhǎn)(liù)(jiāng)(zhōng)()(zhī)(xīn)(tiān)(xià)()()

Cover illustration for Five Gates and Six Generals · 过关斩将
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智慧典故系列 · Wisdom Series · Tales of China