し
四
めん
面
そ
楚
か
歌

noun, takes genitive case の

Messages.yoji.
  1. being surrounded by enemies on all sides, being betrayed (forsaken) by everybody.

Variations

Pronunciation Kanji Kana Is Common
し
四
めん
面
そ
楚
か
歌
 四面楚歌 しめんそか

Contained Kanji Breakdown

four
よん　シ　よ (1st, N5)
box, box or enclosure radical (no. 31)
イ　コク (Kentei 1)
legs radical (no. 10)
ジン　ニン　がい (Kentei 1)
mask, face, features
メン　おも　つら (3rd, N3)
cliff, (厂 variant)
to turn around, to return, to go back
box, box or enclosure radical (no. 31)
イ　コク (Kentei 1)
eye, class, look
め　モク　ボク (1st, N4)
whip, cane
ソ　すわえ　ショ (Kentei Pre-1)
grove, forest
リン　はやし　し (1st, N2)
tree, wood
き　モク　こ- (1st, N5)
head, counter for animals
ヒキ　ショ　ソ (Kentei Pre-1)
stop, halt
と.まる　シ　どめ (2nd, N4)
divining, fortune-telling, divination or katakana to radical (no. 25)
ボク　うらな.う　うらない (Kentei Pre-1)
song, sing
うた　カ (2nd, N4)
big brother
カ　コ　あに (Kentei 1)
can, passable, approval
カ　コク　-べ.き (5th)
street, ward, town
チョウ　テイ　チン (3rd, N1)
mouth
くち　コウ　ク (1st, N4)
lack, gap, fail
ケツ　か.ける　ケン (4th, N3)
knife, wrapping enclosure(勹) variant
person
ひと　ニン　ジン (1st, N5)