pò破breakfǔ釜potchén沉sinkzhōu舟boat
To cut off all means of retreat; to burn one's bridges; to commit oneself fully to a task.
Literal meaning
break (破) — pot (釜) — sink (沉) — boat (舟)
Origin
Derived from a historical event where Xiang Yu ordered his troops to destroy their cooking pots and sink their boats after crossing a river, forcing them to fight with no hope of retreat.
Examples
wèi为le了yíng赢dé得bǐ比sài赛，wǒ我men们bì必xū须pò破fǔ釜chén沉zhōu舟。
In order to win the competition, we must burn our bridges.
tā他jué决dìng定pò破fǔ釜chén沉zhōu舟，cí辞diào掉gōng工zuò作qù去chuàng创yè业。
He decided to commit himself fully, quitting his job to start a business.
Usage & nuances
Emphasizes determination and a willingness to take risks to achieve a goal.
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