This idiom, “破釜沉舟”, literally translates to “smashing the pots and sinking the boats.” It’s used to describe going all-in on a goal with your whole heart and mind, leaving yourself no path for retreat. Why is the phrase 破釜沉舟 used to describe going all-in? That’s that this story will explain. I don’t want to spoil it for you (and it’s very easy to spoil), so I won’t say more than that. But I will give you a few examples of the phrase 破釜沉舟 used in a sentence:
他辞掉了工作，破釜沉舟，决定全力以赴地实现自己的梦想。
He quit his job, burned his bridges, and decided to give everything he had to achieving his dream.
考试只剩下一个星期了，我要破釜沉舟，每天学习十个小时。
There is only one week left until the exam — I am going to go all in and study ten hours every day.
这是我们最后的机会，我们必须破釜沉舟，不能再犹豫了。
This is our last chance — we have to commit completely and can’t hesitate any longer.
Key vocab
起义军 – qǐyìjūn – rebel army, uprising forces
将军 – jiāngjūn – general
渡过 – dùguò – to cross (a river)
震惊 – zhènjīng – to shock, to astonish
凿破 – záopò – to bore holes in, to chisel through
退路 – tuìlù – way of retreat, escape route
斗志高昂 – dòuzhìgāoáng – high fighting spirit, high morale
以一当十 – yǐyīdāngshí – one person fighting as if ten
以少胜多 – yǐshǎoshèngduō – to defeat a larger force with a smaller one
破釜沉舟
秦朝末年，秦国的统治非常残暴，老百姓的生活十分痛苦。各地纷纷出现了反抗秦国的起义军。
当时，有一位非常勇敢的将军，名叫项羽。他率领楚国的军队，准备攻打秦国的大军。秦国的军队非常强大，人数也比楚国多得多。很多士兵心里感到害怕，没有信心打赢这场仗。
项羽带领军队渡过了漳河。到了对岸之后，他下达了一个让所有人都感到震惊的命令。
他命令士兵们把所有的船凿破，沉入河里。
他又命令士兵们把做饭用的锅全部砸碎。
最后，他让士兵们烧掉了营地里所有的帐篷。
士兵们都不明白，纷纷议论：”没有船，我们怎么回去？没有锅，我们吃什么？”
项羽对士兵们说：”我们已经没有退路了。船没有了，锅也没有了，我们只能向前打。每个人只带三天的粮食，三天之内，我们必须打败敌人。”
士兵们听了，明白了项羽的用意。既然已经无路可退，就只能拼尽全力向前战斗。于是，所有人都变得非常勇敢，斗志高昂。
楚国的军队以一当十，奋勇杀敌，连续打了九场仗，场场获胜。最终，他们以少胜多，大败秦军，取得了巨大的胜利。