力挽狂澜
lì wǎn kuáng lán
to turn the tide; to save a desperate situation
Character by character
力lì
strength
strength
挽wǎn
pull back
pull back
狂kuáng
wild
wild
澜lán
waves
waves
Example
比赛只剩五分钟，替补队员连进两球，力挽狂澜。
With five minutes left, a substitute scored twice and turned the match around.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
From 韩愈’s 进学解 (Explaining Learning), which praises turning back the raging waves after they have already broken, 回狂澜于既倒; the full form 力挽狂澜于既倒 is still used. For one person who rescues a team, a firm or a country when all seems lost.
Learn this in Lesson 159 · HSK 7–9: 伍连德与1910年鼠疫 (Wu Lien-teh and the plague of 1910)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
Open the lesson →