the big fish eats the small fish; survival of the fittest; the strong preys on the weak
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 4 examplesidiom
the big fish eats the small fish; the strong preys on the weak; survival of the fittest
neutralOften used to describe ruthless competition, corporate mergers and acquisitions, or power dynamics in society or nature. It implies a natural or inevitable hierarchy where the powerful dominate the weak.
Zài在
jī激
liè烈
de的
shì市
chǎng场
jìng竞
zhēng争
zhōng中
，
cháng常
cháng常
shì是
dà大
yú鱼
chī吃
xiǎo小
yú鱼
。
In fierce market competition, it is often a case of the big fish eating the small fish.
Zhè这
ge个
háng行
yè业
jīng经
lì历
le了
yī一
chǎng场
dà大
yú鱼
chī吃
xiǎo小
yú鱼
de的
bìng并
gòu购
cháo潮
。
This industry has experienced a wave of mergers and acquisitions where the big fish ate the small fish.
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Zì自
rán然
jiè界
de的
fǎ法
zé则
yǒu有
shí时
jiù就
shì是
dà大
yú鱼
chī吃
xiǎo小
yú鱼
。
In nature, the rule is sometimes simply that the big fish eats the small fish.
Tā他
gāng刚
chuàng创
lì立
de的
xiǎo小
gōng公
sī司
，
hěn很
nán难
bì避
miǎn免
bèi被
dà大
qǐ企
yè业
dà大
yú鱼
chī吃
xiǎo小
yú鱼
。
His newly founded small company can hardly avoid being eaten by the big fish of large enterprises.