Jintoe-yangnan (進退兩難)

Jintoe-yangnan (進退兩難) is a four-character idiom meaning "a very difficult situation where you can neither move forward nor retreat." In other words, it refers to a difficult situation where it is difficult to expect a good result no matter what choice you make.

 

Origin and examples

 

• This expression is said to have originated from a situation where soldiers attacking a castle in war had difficulty getting over the castle wall if they tried to advance, and were chased by the enemy if they tried to retreat.

 

• In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, there is a record that Zhuge Liang told Liu Bei that he was "trapped in the adjutant's office and in a difficult situation where he could not move forward or retreat".

 

• It is used in a similar meaning to the Korean proverb "If you go, it's Mt. Tai, but if you turn back, it's Mt. Sung".

 

Similar expressions

• Shimyeonchoga (四面楚歌): a situation where there is no help because enemies are all around

• Nanpae Bulgam (狼狽不堪): a difficult situation where one does not know what to do

Jintoeunnan is often used in everyday life to express a situation where one cannot do this or that.