打破砂鍋問到底

Chinese

to break; to smash clay pot to ask
 
actually; are or are not; after all; finally; in the end; when all is said and done
trad. (打破砂鍋問到底) 打破 砂鍋 問 到底
simp. (打破砂锅问到底) 打破 砂锅 问 到底
alt. forms 打破砂鍋璺到底／打破砂锅璺到底
Literally: “to break the clay pot and ask (crack) to the bottom”.

Etymology

A pun based on the homophony of 璺 (wèn, “crack”) and 問／问 (wèn, “to ask”).

Pronunciation

  • Mandarin
    (Pinyin): dǎpò shāguō wèn dàodǐ
    (Zhuyin): ㄉㄚˇ ㄆㄛˋ ㄕㄚ ㄍㄨㄛ ㄨㄣˋ ㄉㄠˋ ㄉㄧˇ
  • Mandarin
    • (Standard Chinese)+
      • Pinyin: dǎpò shāguō wèn dàodǐ
      • Zhuyin: ㄉㄚˇ ㄆㄛˋ ㄕㄚ ㄍㄨㄛ ㄨㄣˋ ㄉㄠˋ ㄉㄧˇ
      • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: daapoh shaguo wenn dawdii
      • IPA (key): /ta̠²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹ ʂa̠⁵⁵ ku̯ɔ⁵⁵ u̯ən⁵¹⁻⁵³ tɑʊ̯⁵¹ ti²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Idiom

打破砂鍋問到底

  1. to keep asking questions to get to the bottom of something

Synonyms

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