凶多吉少
xiōng duō jí shǎo
likely to end badly; the outlook is grim
Character by character
凶xiōng
ominous
ominous
多duō
many
many
吉jí
auspicious
auspicious
少shǎo
few
few
Example
小船出海已经三天了，一点儿消息也没有，大家都担心凶多吉少。
The little boat has been at sea for three days without a word, and everyone fears the worst.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
Said of a person in danger or a venture whose outcome is still unknown, usually as a worry: 恐怕凶多吉少, 担心凶多吉少. 凶 and 吉 are the bad and good omens of fortune-telling. Tactless to say in front of the family.
Learn this in Lesson 145 · HSK 7–9: 鳌太线 (The Aotai trail)
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.
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