Chinese Idiom

马到成功🔊

Mǎ Dào Chéng Gōng
📚 Idioms⏱ 3 min read🎧 Audio

This idiom means achieving immediate success upon arrival.

The Story 🔊

Qíncháo mònián Xiàng Yǔ shuài jūn zuòzhàn
秦朝Qíncháo🔊末年mònián🔊项羽Xiàng Yǔ🔊率军shuài jūn🔊作战zuòzhàn🔊
Tā de jūnduì měi dào yíchù jiù néng xùnsù qǔshèng
🔊de🔊军队jūnduì🔊每到měi dào🔊一处yíchù🔊就能jiù néng🔊迅速xùnsù🔊取胜qǔshèng🔊
Zhànmǎ yí dào shènglì jiù lái le
战马Zhànmǎ🔊一到yí dào🔊胜利shènglì🔊jiù🔊来了lái le🔊
Hòulái rénmen jiù yòng mǎ dào chénggōng lái xíngróng xùnsù chénggōng
后来Hòulái🔊人们rénmen🔊就用jiù yòng🔊马到成功mǎ dào chénggōng🔊来形容lái xíngróng🔊迅速xùnsù🔊成功chénggōng🔊
English Translation:
At the end of the Qin Dynasty, Xiang Yu led his army in battle. His army could quickly win wherever they went. As soon as the war horses arrived, victory came. Later, people used "horses arrive, success follows" to describe quick success.

Key Vocabulary

马到成功
mǎ dào chéng gōng
success upon arrival
战马
zhànmǎ
war horse
迅速
xùnsù
swift
取胜
qǔshèng
win victory
率军
shuài jūn
lead troops
形容
xíngróng
describe

The Moral

Swift action brings quick results! This idiom means achieving success immediately upon starting.

Cultural Insight

马到成功 is a popular idiom used to wish someone quick success.