fail; mess up; go wrong
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
1 sense · 3 examplesverb
to fail; to mess up; to go wrong; to fall through
dialectOriginally a northern Chinese dialect expression, this vivid metaphor compares a failed endeavor to a smashed cooking pot, implying total collapse or complete failure of a plan or task. Now widely used in colloquial Mandarin.
Ràng让
tā他
qù去
bàn办
zhè这
jiàn件
shì事
ér儿
，
zhǔn准
zá砸
guō锅
。
If you let him handle this matter, it's sure to go wrong.
Zhè这
cì次
tán谈
pàn判
zá砸
guō锅
le了
，
shuāng双
fāng方
bù不
huān欢
ér而
sàn散
。
The negotiations fell through, and both parties parted on bad terms.
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Nǐ你
yào要
shì是
zài再
zhè这
yàng样
xià下
qù去
，
zhěng整
gè个
jì计
huà划
dōu都
děi得
zá砸
guō锅
。
If you keep going like this, the entire plan will fall apart.