优胜劣汰

yōu shèng liè tài

  • Meaning

    Literal

    The strong win and the weak are eliminated

    Usage

    Survival of the fittest

  • Connotation

    Neutral

  • Usage Examples

    市场的基本原则是优胜劣汰,如果你借钱给那些盲目投资的企业,你就得受到市场的惩罚 | Shìchǎng de jīběn yuánzé shì yōushèngliètài, rúguǒ nǐ jiè qián gěi nàxiē mángmù tóuzī de qǐyè, nǐ jiù děi shòudào shìchǎng de chéngfá
    The market's basic principle is survival of the fittest. If you give your money to companies that invest blindly, you will suffer the market's punishment
    [Source]

    达尔文的理论认为,物种在自然环境中优胜劣汰,进化由此产生 | Dá'ěrwén de lǐlùn rènwéi, wùzhǒng zài zìrán huánjìng zhōng yōushèngliètài, jìnhuà yóucǐ chǎnshēng
    [Charles] Darwin's theory posits that in nature, the strongest survive and the weak lose, and that evolution stems from this
    [Source]

  • Equivalents

    English

    None

    Chinese

    优胜劣败 (yōu shèng liè bài)

  • Entry Notes

    This is an HSK chengyu

  • Origin

    Uncertain -- Either my resources all attributed this chengyu to different people or this information has been lost to history

  • Story

    This chengyu comes from a line in the work listed in the "Origin" section above

  • Citations and Helpful Resources

    • 汉语成语小词典 (hànyǔ chéngyǔ xiǎo cídiǎn)
    • 现代汉语规范词典 (xiàndài hànyǔ guīfàn cídiǎn)
    • 多功能成语词典 (duō gōngnéng chéngyǔ cídiǎn)
    • 汉语大词典 (hànyǔ dà cídiǎn)
    • ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary
    • Pleco Basic Chinese-English Dictionary
    • 百度百科[x]