# 落花流水

luò huā liú shuǐ

Be utterly defeated

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Fallen flowers and flowing water

**Register:** Emphatic · general

[Change & possibility](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/change)

## When to use it

Commonly describe a crushing defeat, often after 打得.

Can also be poetic scenery; context distinguishes the sense.

## Understanding the expression

Flowers fall and water carries things away, creating an image of scattering and loss of cohesion. In common modern use, the expression describes a side beaten so thoroughly that it can no longer hold together. It often follows a verb describing defeat. The same words can also appear in poetry about scenery or passing beauty. In a competition sentence, the emphasis is overwhelming loss rather than a narrow result or an ordinary unsuccessful attempt.

## Examples

对手把我们打得落花流水。

### Traditional Chinese

對手把我們打得落花流水。

duì shǒu bǎ wǒ men dǎ dé luò huā liú shuǐ 。

The opponents defeated us utterly.

他在棋赛中输得落花流水。

### Traditional Chinese

他在棋賽中輸得落花流水。

tā zài qí sài zhōng shū dé luò huā liú shuǐ 。

He suffered a crushing chess defeat.

这次棋赛，他被对手赢得落花流水。

### Traditional Chinese

這次棋賽，他被對手贏得落花流水。

zhè cì qí sài ， tā bèi duì shǒu yíng dé luò huā liú shuǐ 。

His opponent defeated him utterly in this chess competition.

上次落花流水，这次我们准备更充分。

### Traditional Chinese

上次落花流水，這次我們準備更充分。

shàng cì luò huā liú shuǐ ， zhè cì wǒ men zhǔn bèi gèng chōng fèn 。

After the crushing loss, we prepared more thoroughly this time.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E8%90%BD%E8%8A%B1%E6%B5%81%E6%B0%B4)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=670&webMd=1&la=0)

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