liǎngbàijùshāng: 两败俱伤 - Both Sides Lose, Mutually Destructive

• Keywords: liǎngbàijùshāng, 两败俱伤, Chinese idiom for lose-lose, no-win situation Chinese, mutually destructive, both sides are defeated, Chinese chengyu, Pyrrhic victory vs liangbaijushang, conflict resolution Chinese
• Summary: 两败俱伤 (liǎng bài jù shāng) is a powerful Chinese idiom (chengyu) describing a conflict where both parties suffer significant losses, resulting in a “lose-lose” or no-win situation. It serves as a pragmatic warning against escalating disputes, whether in business, politics, or personal relationships, emphasizing that such struggles only lead to mutual destruction and that no one truly wins.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): liǎng bài jù shāng
• Part of Speech: Chengyu (四字成语), Verb Phrase
• HSK Level: HSK 6
• Concise Definition: For both sides to be defeated and injured; a mutually destructive outcome.
• In a Nutshell: This idiom paints a vivid picture of a fight where there are no winners, only losers. Imagine two powerful stags locking antlers and fighting so fiercely that both end up mortally wounded. Even if one technically “wins,” the cost is so high that it's meaningless. The core feeling is one of tragic, avoidable waste resulting from a stubborn conflict.

• 两 (liǎng): Two, a pair, both.
• 败 (bài): To be defeated, to lose, to fail.
• 俱 (jù): All, together, entirely. This character is key, emphasizing the totality of the mutual outcome.
• 伤 (shāng): To injure, to wound, to harm.

The characters combine literally and powerfully: “Two (两) are defeated (败), both together (俱) are wounded (伤).” The meaning is transparent and direct, describing a scenario of complete and shared negative consequences.

The idiom 两败俱伤 is deeply rooted in a cultural preference for harmony (和谐, héxié) and the avoidance of direct, destructive confrontation. Chinese philosophy and strategic thinking, from Sun Tzu's “Art of War” to everyday negotiation, often emphasize finding a way to achieve goals without resorting to a brute-force conflict that harms everyone. This idiom serves as a potent cultural shorthand, a warning that unbridled aggression and a “win-at-all-costs” mentality are foolish and ultimately self-defeating. A useful Western comparison is the concept of a “Pyrrhic victory,” but they are not the same. A Pyrrhic victory is when you win the battle, but your losses are so devastating that it feels like a defeat. 两败俱伤 is different and more specific: it asserts that both sides are defeated. There is no winner, not even a heavily wounded one. It is a pure “lose-lose” scenario, closer in spirit to the concept of “Mutually Assured Destruction” (M.A.D.) but applied to conventional conflicts, business rivalries, or even bitter family disputes.

两败俱伤 is a formal idiom but is widely understood and used in various modern contexts to describe and warn against negative-sum games.

• In Business: It's frequently used to describe price wars. If two companies relentlessly slash prices to gain market share, they may both end up destroying their profit margins, leading to a 两败俱伤 outcome.
• In Diplomacy and Politics: Commentators use it to describe trade wars or international standoffs, arguing that prolonged conflict will only harm the economies and citizens of both nations.
• In Legal Disputes and Personal Relationships: A lawyer might advise a client to settle, warning that a long, nasty court battle will be a 两败俱伤 situation, draining both parties financially and emotionally. Friends might use it to advise against a bitter divorce or a feud with a neighbor.
• On Social Media: It's often used to describe online “flame wars” or celebrity feuds where the endless back-and-forth only damages the reputations of everyone involved.

The connotation is consistently negative and cautionary. It's a statement of fact about a bad outcome or a warning to prevent one.

• Example 1:
  • 这场官司打下去只会是两败俱伤，我们还是和解吧。
  • Pinyin: Zhè chǎng guānsi dǎ xiàqù zhǐ huì shì liǎng bài jù shāng, wǒmen háishì héjiě ba.
  • English: Continuing with this lawsuit will only lead to a situation where both sides lose; we should just settle.
  • Analysis: A classic example in a legal context. The idiom serves as the core reason for changing course and seeking a compromise.
• Example 2:
  • 这两家公司为了市场份额进行价格战，结果两败俱伤，谁也没赚到钱。
  • Pinyin: Zhè liǎng jiā gōngsī wèile shìchǎng fèn'é jìnxíng jiàgézhàn, jiéguǒ liǎng bài jù shāng, shéi yě méi zhuàn dào qián.
  • English: These two companies engaged in a price war for market share, and the result was mutually destructive; neither made any money.
  • Analysis: This clearly illustrates the “lose-lose” concept in a business scenario.
• Example 3:
  • 贸易战中没有真正的赢家，最终只会造成两败俱伤的局面。
  • Pinyin: Màoyìzhàn zhōng méiyǒu zhēnzhèng de yíngjiā, zuìzhōng zhǐ huì zàochéng liǎng bài jù shāng de júmiàn.
  • English: There are no real winners in a trade war; in the end, it will only create a mutually destructive situation.
  • Analysis: Here, the idiom is used to describe a large-scale political and economic outcome. “局面” (júmiàn) means “situation” or “state of affairs.”
• Example 4:
  • 老师劝告两个吵架的学生：“你们这样争吵下去，对谁都没好处，只会两败俱伤。”
  • Pinyin: Lǎoshī quàngào liǎng ge chǎojià de xuéshēng: “Nǐmen zhèyàng zhēngchǎo xiàqù, duì shéi dōu méi hǎochù, zhǐ huì liǎng bài jù shāng.”
  • English: The teacher advised the two arguing students: “If you keep arguing like this, it won't benefit either of you; it will only hurt you both.”
  • Analysis: This shows the idiom being used as a direct warning in an everyday, interpersonal context.
• Example 5:
  • 他们夫妻俩的离婚过程闹得很难看，最后两败俱伤，孩子也受到了很大的影响。
  • Pinyin: Tāmen fūqī liǎ de líhūn guòchéng nào de hěn nánkàn, zuìhòu liǎng bài jù shāng, háizi yě shòudào le hěn dà de yǐngxiǎng.
  • English: The couple's divorce process was very ugly, and in the end, it was a lose-lose situation for both of them, and the children were also greatly affected.
  • Analysis: Highlights the emotional and collateral damage implied by the idiom.
• Example 6:
  • 我们必须避免与竞争对手陷入两败俱伤的恶性竞争。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen bìxū bìmiǎn yǔ jìngzhēng duìshǒu xiànrù liǎng bài jù shāng de èxìng jìngzhēng.
  • English: We must avoid getting trapped in a vicious, mutually destructive competition with our rivals.
  • Analysis: Here, “两败俱伤” acts as an adjective modifying “恶性竞争” (vicious competition).
• Example 7:
  • 历史上，很多战争的结局都是两败俱伤。
  • Pinyin: Lìshǐ shàng, hěnduō zhànzhēng de jiéjú dōu shì liǎng bài jù shāng.
  • English: Throughout history, the outcome of many wars has been mutual destruction.
  • Analysis: A simple, declarative sentence applying the concept to a historical context.
• Example 8:
  • 如果你选择硬碰硬，结果很可能是两败俱伤。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ xuǎnzé yìng pèng yìng, jiéguǒ hěn kěnéng shì liǎng bài jù shāng.
  • English: If you choose to meet force with force, the result will very likely be that both sides lose.
  • Analysis: The phrase “硬碰硬” (yìng pèng yìng), meaning “to confront head-on,” often leads to a 两败俱伤 outcome.
• Example 9:
  • 这场辩论最终演变成了人身攻击，导致了两败俱伤的尴尬场面。
  • Pinyin: Zhè chǎng biànlùn zuìzhōng yǎnbiàn chéng le rénshēn gōngjī, dǎozhì le liǎng bài jù shāng de gāngà chǎngmiàn.
  • English: This debate eventually devolved into personal attacks, leading to an awkward situation where both sides came out looking bad.
  • Analysis: Shows that the “injury” (伤) can be to one's reputation or dignity, not just physical or financial.
• Example 10:
  • 与其两败俱伤，不如各退一步，寻求一个双赢的解决方案。
  • Pinyin: Yǔqí liǎng bài jù shāng, bùrú gè tuì yí bù, xúnqiú yí ge shuāngyíng de jiějué fāng'àn.
  • English: Rather than both sides getting hurt, it would be better for each to take a step back and look for a win-win solution.
  • Analysis: This sentence structure, “与其 A, 不如 B” (yǔqí A, bùrú B), means “rather than A, it's better to B.” It perfectly frames the idiom as the undesirable alternative to compromise.

• It's not for minor disagreements: Do not use 两败俱伤 to describe a simple argument where feelings are slightly hurt. The idiom implies significant, serious, and substantial loss (money, reputation, physical well-being, strategic position).
  • Incorrect: 我们为晚饭吃什么吵了一架，真是两败俱伤。(We had a fight about what to eat for dinner, it was a total lose-lose.) → This is overkill. The stakes are far too low.
• It requires mutual loss: The core meaning is that both parties are defeated. If one side clearly wins, even if they paid a high price, this idiom is incorrect. In that case, you might use 得不偿失 (dé bù cháng shī) - “the gain doesn't make up for the loss” - to describe the winner's situation.
  • Incorrect: 我们的球队赢了，但是两个最好的球员都受伤了，真是两败俱伤。 (Our team won, but our two best players got injured, it was really a lose-lose.) → This is a “Pyrrhic victory,” not 两败俱伤, because your team still won the game. The other team lost and suffered.

• 双赢 (shuāng yíng) - Win-win. The direct antonym of 两败俱伤, representing the ideal outcome in negotiations.
• 鱼死网破 (yú sǐ wǎng pò) - “The fish dies and the net breaks.” Describes a desperate, last-ditch struggle where one party attempts to bring the other down with them, ensuring mutual destruction. It's more about the act of causing mutual ruin out of desperation.
• 同归于尽 (tóng guī yú jìn) - “To perish together; to end in mutual destruction.” This is even more extreme than 两败俱伤, often implying mutual annihilation or death.
• 鹬蚌相争 (yù bàng xiāng zhēng) - “The snipe and the clam grapple.” An idiom referring to a conflict between two parties that allows a third party (the fisherman) to benefit. The conflict between the snipe and the clam is a perfect example of a 两败俱伤 situation.
• 你死我活 (nǐ sǐ wǒ huó) - “You die, I live.” Describes a zero-sum, life-or-death struggle. It represents the mindset that directly leads to a 两败俱伤 outcome.
• 得不偿失 (dé bù cháng shī) - The gains don't outweigh the losses. This can describe the feeling of one or both parties after a 两败俱伤 conflict. It focuses on the net result rather than the mutual nature of the defeat.
• 和谐 (héxié) - Harmony. The cultural ideal that the warning of 两败俱伤 helps to preserve.