一將功成萬骨枯

Chinese

		one; single; a one; single; a; (before verbs) as soon as, once; (before a noun) entire (family, etc.)	a general; (will, shall, "future tense"); ready a general; (will, shall, "future tense"); ready; prepared; to get; to use	merit; achievement; result merit; achievement; result; service; accomplishment	finish; complete; accomplish finish; complete; accomplish; become; turn into; win; succeed; one tenth	ten thousand; a great number; surname	bone	withered; dried up
trad. (一將功成萬骨枯)		一	將	功	成	萬	骨	枯
simp. (一将功成万骨枯)		一	将	功	成	万	骨	枯
Literally: “A single general achieves fame on the rotting bones of ten thousand.”

Etymology

From the poem 己亥歲二首·其一 by Cao Song (830-903):

憑君莫話封侯事，一將功成萬骨枯。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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凭君莫话封侯事，一将功成万骨枯。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: 880, 曹松, 己亥歲二首·其一

Píng jūn mò huà fēnghóu shì, yī jiāng gōng chéng wàn gǔ kū. [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yī jiàng gōng chéng wàn gǔ kū

  (Zhuyin): ㄧ ㄐㄧㄤˋ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄔㄥˊ ㄨㄢˋ ㄍㄨˇ ㄎㄨ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jat¹ zoeng³ gung¹ sing⁴ maan⁶ gwat¹ fu¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yī jiàng gōng chéng wàn gǔ kū [Phonetic: yí jiàng gōng chéng wàn gǔ kū]
    • Zhuyin: ㄧ ㄐㄧㄤˋ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄔㄥˊ ㄨㄢˋ ㄍㄨˇ ㄎㄨ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yi jiàng gong chéng wàn gǔ ku
    • Wade–Giles: i¹ chiang⁴ kung¹ chʻêng² wan⁴ ku³ kʻu¹
    • Yale: yī jyàng gūng chéng wàn gǔ kū
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: i jianq gong cherng wann guu ku
    • Palladius: и цзян гун чэн вань гу ку (i czjan gun čɛn vanʹ gu ku)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ wän⁵¹ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʰu⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jat¹ zoeng³ gung¹ sing⁴ maan⁶ gwat¹ fu¹
    • Yale: yāt jeung gūng sìhng maahn gwāt fū
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jat⁷ dzoeng³ gung¹ sing⁴ maan⁶ gwat⁷ fu¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yed¹ zêng³ gung¹ xing⁴ man⁶ gued¹ fu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐt̚⁵ t͡sœːŋ³³ kʊŋ⁵⁵ sɪŋ²¹ maːn²² kʷɐt̚⁵ fuː⁵⁵/

Proverb

一將功成萬骨枯

1. A general's feat is achieved through the sacrifice of the lives of countless soldiers

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (一將功成萬骨枯):

• → Vietnamese: nhất tướng công thành vạn cốt khô (一將功成萬骨枯)