chéng zé wéi wáng , bài zé wéi kòu
Traditional: 成則為王，敗則為寇
成则为王，败则为寇 (chéng zé wéi wáng , bài zé wéi kòu) is a Chinese word meaning “lit. called a king if successful, called a bandit if defeated (idiom); fig. losers are always in the wrong”.
Meanings
- 1lit. called a king if successful, called a bandit if defeated (idiom)
- 2fig. losers are always in the wrong
Characters in 成则为王，败则为寇
成chéng · to succeed则zé · (literary) (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but; then为wéi · as (in the capacity of)王wáng · king or monarch败bài · to defeat则zé · (literary) (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but; then为wéi · as (in the capacity of)寇kòu · to invade
Related words
因为because; owing to; on account of为什么why?为as (in the capacity of)为because of为variant of 為|为[wei2]为variant of 為|为[wei4]认为to believe; to think; to consider; to feel为了for; for the purpose of; in order to以为to think; to believe (often with the implication that the belief is mistaken – unless referring to one's own current belief)成to succeed成surname Cheng成为to become; to turn into