📂 Business Speak

Burn bridge after cross river (过河拆桥) — Chinglish Slang

📌 Quick Overview | 词条速览

Slang Name:Burn bridge after cross river

Chinese:过河拆桥

Type:Business Speak / Chinglish Slang

🔎 Full Meaning | 完整释义

English:
A Chinese business idiom about ungratefulness: "after crossing the river, burn the bridge." It describes someone who uses others to achieve their goals and then discards them once they no longer need their help. In business, it's the ultimate betrayal — quickly forgotten after the favor is done.

中文:
一个关于忘恩负义的中国商务习语:"过了河就把桥拆了。"形容那些利用他人实现目标后就把人甩开的人。在商业中,这是终极背叛——忙帮完后人就被忘得一干二净。

📜 Origin & Background | 词源与文化背景

"过河拆桥" (guò hé chāi qiáo) is an ancient Chinese idiom that vividly describes ingratitude. The imagery is powerful: you help someone cross a river by building a bridge, and once they're safely across, they destroy the bridge so no one else can use it — and so they don't have to owe you anything. In modern Chinese business culture, it's a serious accusation used to describe partners, colleagues, or even friends who betray trust after getting what they wanted.

中文:"过河拆桥"是一个古老的中文习语,生动地描述了忘恩负义。画面感很强:你帮某人搭桥过河,他们安全过河后就把桥拆了,这样别人就不能用——而且他们也不用欠你人情。在现代中国商业文化中,这是一个严重的指控,用来描述那些得到想要的东西后就背叛信任的合作伙伴、同事甚至朋友。

📖 Example Sentences | 双语实用例句

📌 Example 1
After a partnership:
"Remember that guy we helped last year?"
"He got the contract and now he won't even reply to our calls."
"Total burn bridge after cross river."

合作之后:
"还记得去年我们帮过的那个人吗?"
"他拿到合同后现在连电话都不接了。"
"完全的过河拆桥。"
📌 Example 2
Business warning:
"Don't introduce him to your clients."
"Why not?"
"He'll burn the bridge. He did it to me."

商务警告:
"不要把你的客户介绍给他。"
"为什么?"
"他会过河拆桥。他就是这么对我的。"
📌 Example 3
Discussing a former colleague:
"She only calls when she needs something."
"As soon as you help, she disappears. Burn bridge style."

讨论前同事:
"她只有需要帮助的时候才打电话。"
"你一帮完她就消失了。过河拆桥型的。"
📌 Example 4
About a startup founder:
"He used all his friends' connections to get funding."
"Now he's successful and ignores everyone."
"Burn bridge after cross river. That's how he operates."

关于一个创业者:
"他用了所有朋友的关系拿到了投资。"
"现在他成功了,谁都不理了。"
"过河拆桥。他就是这么办事的。"
📌 Example 5
Caption on a post about betrayal:
"Helped them grow their business from zero."
"Got replaced by a cheaper company."
"They burned the bridge after crossing the river."

关于背叛的帖子配文:
"帮他们把生意从零做起来。"
"被一家更便宜的公司取代了。"
"他们过河拆桥了。"

🔗 Related Chinglish Slang

✍️ By Chinglish Lab Team · 📅 May 5, 2026
#Chinglish #BusinessSpeak #ChineseEnglish

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