倾家荡产 qīngjiā-dàngchǎn to lose a family fortune (idiom)
How to remember 倾家荡产: 倾 to upset + 家 home + 荡 pond + 产 to give birth = to lose a family fortune (idiom).
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How it is used
- An idiom: to lose one's entire family fortune, be financially ruined - 赌博让他倾家荡产 (dǔbó ràng tā qīngjiā-dàngchǎn) gambling ruined him utterly.
- Vivid and total - everything gone, house and property alike. Used for catastrophic financial collapse.
- Often follows a cause (lawsuits, gambling, disaster) as its devastating result. Strong, dramatic register.