阴沟里翻船 yīn gōu lǐ fān chuán

to meet with unexpected failure (idiom)

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. to meet with unexpected failure (idiom)
  2. 2. to fail miserably (where failure was not expected)

Characters

Character Meaning
阴 yīn HSK 2
overcast (weather); cloudy
沟 gōu HSK 5
ditch; gutter; groove
里 lǐ HSK 1
inside; interior; internal
翻 fān HSK 4
to turn over; to flip over; to translate
船 chuán HSK 3
boat; ship; vessel