玉石俱焚

Chinese

		jade	rock; stone; 10 pecks	a social club; entirely; without exception	burn
trad. (玉石俱焚)		玉	石	俱	焚
simp. #(玉石俱焚)		玉	石	俱	焚
Literally: “jade and stone incinerated together”.

Etymology

From the chapter 胤征 of the Forged Old Text of Shangshu:

火炎崑岡，玉石俱焚。天吏逸德，烈于猛火。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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火炎昆冈，玉石俱焚。天吏逸德，烈于猛火。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Forged Old Text of the Book of Documents, circa 3^rd – 4^th century CE

Huǒyán Kūngāng, yù shí jù fén. Tiānlì yìdé, liè yú měnghuǒ. [Pinyin]

When the fire blazes over the ridge of Kunlun, gems and stones are burnt at the same time; but if a minister of the Son of Heaven failed to fulfil his duty, the consequences will be fiercer than that of the blazing fire.

According to Mei Zhuo (circa 1483～1553) and Yan Ruoqu (1636～1704)'s research, this word is ultimately from the colloquial language as of the Jin dynasty (265～420).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yùshíjùfén

  (Zhuyin): ㄩˋ ㄕˊ ㄐㄩˋ ㄈㄣˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): juk⁶ sek⁶ keoi¹ fan⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yùshíjùfén
    • Zhuyin: ㄩˋ ㄕˊ ㄐㄩˋ ㄈㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yùshíhjyùfén
    • Wade–Giles: yü⁴-shih²-chü⁴-fên²
    • Yale: yù-shŕ-jyù-fén
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yuhshyrjiuhfern
    • Palladius: юйшицзюйфэнь (jujšiczjujfɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ t͡ɕy⁵¹ fən³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: juk⁶ sek⁶ keoi¹ fan⁴
    • Yale: yuhk sehk kēui fàhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: juk⁹ sek⁹ koey¹ fan⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: yug⁶ ség⁶ kêu¹ fen⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jʊk̚² sɛːk̚² kʰɵy̯⁵⁵ fɐn²¹/

Idiom

玉石俱焚

1. the good and the bad (or evil) perish together

Synonyms

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• 一鑊熟 / 一镬熟 (jat¹ wok⁶ suk⁶) (Cantonese)
• 兩敗俱傷 / 两败俱伤 (liǎngbàijùshāng)
• 同歸於盡 / 同归于尽 (tóngguīyújìn)
• 攬炒 / 揽炒 (laam^5-2 caau²) (Cantonese)
• 魚死網破 / 鱼死网破 (yúsǐwǎngpò)