📖 Meaning
The nation has fallen and families have been destroyed. It describes the total devastation of a country and its people, typically caused by war or foreign invasion. The phrase conveys profound grief over the collapse of both state and home.
📜 Origin Story
This phrase originates from a letter by Liu Kun of the Jin Dynasty, titled 'Reply to Lu Chen' (答卢谌书). Liu Kun was a military leader during the chaotic period following the collapse of the Western Jin Dynasty, when northern China was overrun by nomadic forces. In his letter, he lamented that the nation was destroyed, families were ruined, and his relatives and friends had been scattered or killed. The letter expressed his deep sorrow and unyielding determination to restore the fallen state despite overwhelming adversity.
💡 Example Usage
战火蔓延，百姓流离失所，到处是国破家亡的惨景。
As war spread and the people were displaced, scenes of a fallen nation and ruined families could be seen everywhere.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 国破家亡
- Pinyin: guó pò jiā wáng
- Literal Translation: country, broken, family, perished
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4