to return without any achievement (idiom); to go home with one's tail between one's legs
trad. 無功而返
Also written 無功而返【wú gōng ér fǎn】
Characters in this word
4无
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
used in 南無|南无[na1 mo2]
- Pinyin
- mó
- Traditional
- 無
- Strokes
- 4
- Frequency
- 1404 of 2500
功
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
meritorious deed or service, achievement, result, service, accomplishment, work (physics)
- Pinyin
- gōng
- Strokes
- 5
- Frequency
- 27779 of 2500
而
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
and, as well as, and so, but (not), yet (not), (indicates causal relation), (indicates change of state), (indicates contrast)
- Pinyin
- ér
- Strokes
- 6
- Frequency
- 131 of 2500
返
Strokes: KanjiVG, CC BY-SA 3.0
to return (to)
- Pinyin
- fǎn
- Strokes
- 7
- Frequency
- 16775 of 2500