置之死地而后生

Traditional form:

置之死地而後生

Pinyin (reading):

zhìzhīsǐdì'érhòushēng

Definitions:

• (idiom based on Sunzi's "The Art of War" 孫子兵法／孙子兵法 ( Sunzī Bingfā)) to deploy one's troops in such a way that there is no possibility of retreat, so that they will fight for their lives and win the battle; to fight desperately when confronted with mortal danger; to find a way to emerge from a dire situation

Characters:

• 置 - to lay out, to place, to set aside
• 之 - marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase; it, him her, them; to go to
• 死 - dead; death; impassable, inflexible
• 地 - earth, ground, soil; land, region; structural particle used before a verb
• 而 - and, and then, and yet; but
• 后 - after; behind, rear; descendants
• 生 - life, lifetime; birth; growth

Traditional characters:

• 置 - to lay out, to place, to set aside
• 之 - marks preceding phrase as modifier of following phrase; it, him her, them; to go to
• 死 - dead; death; impassable, inflexible
• 地 - earth, ground, soil; land, region; structural particle used before a verb
• 而 - and, and then, and yet; but
• 後 - after; behind, rear; descendants
• 生 - life, lifetime; birth; growth