鏦 cōng spear / to plunge (with spear) 项庄舞剑，意在沛公 項莊舞劍，意在沛公 xiàng zhuāng wǔ jiàn , yì zài pèi gōng lit. Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] (idiom) / refers to 206 BC plot to murder Liu Bang, aka Duke of Pei 沛公[Pei4 gong1] and the future Han emperor, during a sword dance at the Hongmen feast 鴻門宴|鸿门宴[Hong2 men2 yan4] / an elaborate deception to hide malicious intent 刀枪不入 刀槍不入 dāo qiāng bù rù lit. impervious to sword or spear (idiom) / fig. invulnerable / untouchable / thick-skinned / impervious to criticism 缑 緱 gōu rope attached to a sword hilt / (archaic) hilt / sword 镡 鐔 xín guard (on a sword handle) / pommel (on a sword handle) / dagger / Taiwan pr. [tan2] 文武双全 文武雙全 wén wǔ shuāng quán well versed in letters and military technology (idiom) / fine scholar and soldier / master of pen and sword syn 戟 jǐ halberd / long-handled weapon with pointed tip and crescent blade / combined spear and battle-ax 倚天屠龙记 倚天屠龍記 yǐ tiān tú lóng jì Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, wuxia (武俠|武侠[wu3 xia2], martial arts chivalry) novel by Jin Yong 金庸[Jin1 Yong1] and its screen adaptations 重文轻武 重文輕武 zhòng wén qīng wǔ to value letters and belittle arms (idiom) / to stress civil matters and neglect the military / to prefer the pen to the sword 单枪匹马 單槍匹馬 dān qiāng pǐ mǎ lit. single spear and horse (idiom) / fig. single-handed / unaccompanied syn 枕戈待旦 zhěn gē dài dàn lit. to wait for dawn, one's head resting on a spear (idiom) / fig. fully prepared and biding one's time before the battle syn 单枪匹马 單槍匹馬 dān qiāng - pǐ mǎ lit. single spear and horse (idiom) / fig. single-handed / unaccompanied syn 双刃剑 雙刃劍 shuāng rèn jiàn double-edged sword (lit. and fig.) 口蜜腹剑 口蜜腹劍 kǒu mì fù jiàn lit. honeyed words, a sword in the belly (idiom) / fig. hypocritical and murderous syn 投笔从戎 投筆從戎 tóu bǐ cóng róng to lay down the pen and take up the sword (idiom) / to join the military (esp. of educated person) syn 琴剑飘零 琴劍飄零 qín jiàn piāo líng floating between zither and sword (idiom) / fig. wandering aimlessly with no tenured position 朴刀 pō dāo sword with a curved blade and a long hilt, wielded with both hands 锋芒 鋒芒 fēng máng tip (of pencil, spear etc) / sharp point / cutting edge / spearhead / vanguard 临阵磨枪 臨陣磨槍 lín zhèn mó qiāng lit. to sharpen one's spear only before going into battle (idiom) / fig. to make preparations only at the last moment syn 花枪 花槍 huā qiāng short spear (arch.) / fig. trickery syn 挥戈 揮戈 huī gē to brandish a spear 枪 鎗 qiāng variant of 槍|枪[qiang1] / rifle / spear syn 矛 máo spear / lance / pike syn 锋 鋒 fēng point of a spear / edge of a tool / vanguard / forward (in sports team) syn 铩 鎩 shā (old) spear / lance / (literary) to cripple / to harm / to injure syn 鎗 qiāng variant of 槍|枪 / rifle / spear 殳 shū bamboo or wooden spear / Kangxi radical 79, occurring in 段[duan4], 毅[yi4], 殺|杀[sha1] etc 锬 錟 tán long spear 铦 銛 xiān fish-spear / sharp 鐏 zūn butt end of spear 枕戈寝甲 枕戈寢甲 zhěn gē qǐn jiǎ lit. to sleep on one's armor with a spear as a pillow (idiom) / fig. to keep ready for battle at all times 银样镴枪头 銀樣鑞槍頭 yín yàng là qiāng tóu silvery spear point actually made of pewter (idiom) / fig. worthless despite an attractive exterior 鏸 huì three edged spear / (used in given names) 籚 lú basket made of rush / spear-shaft 厹 qiú spear 銛 xiān fish-spear / sharp 鉾 móu spear 枪术 槍術 qiāng shù qiang (spear) 杸 shū to kill / a spear 戭 yǎn spear 以子之矛，攻子之盾 yǐ zǐ zhī máo , gōng zǐ zhī dùn lit. use sb's spear to attack his shield (idiom, derived from Han Feizi 韓非子|韩非子) / turning a weapon against its owner / fig. to attack an opponent using his own devices / hoist with his own petard 明枪好躲，暗箭难防 明槍好躲，暗箭難防 míng qiāng hǎo duǒ , àn jiàn nán fáng lit. easy to dodge the spear in the open, hard to avoid a stab in the dark (idiom) / it is hard to guard against secret conspiracies 明枪易躲，暗箭难防 明槍易躲，暗箭難防 míng qiāng yì duǒ , àn jiàn nán fáng lit. easy to dodge the spear in the open, hard to avoid a stab in the dark (idiom) / it is hard to guard against secret conspiracies 枪林箭雨 槍林箭雨 qiāng lín jiàn yǔ forest of spear, rain of arrows 银样鑞枪头 銀樣鑞槍頭 yín yàng là qiāng tóu lit. pseudo-silver pewter spear-head / fig. an initially impressive person who turns out to be useless 梭镖 梭鏢 suō biāo spear 矠 zé (old) spear 红樱枪 紅櫻槍 hóng yīng qiāng ancient spear-like weapon, decorated with a red tassel 𨱔 鐏 zūn butt end of spear 丈八蛇矛 zhàng bā shé máo ancient spear-like weapon 18 Chinese feet 尺[chi3] in length, with a wavy spearhead like a snake's body 蛇矛 shé máo ancient spear-like weapon with a wavy spearhead like a snake's body 揘毕 揘畢 héng bì to stab with a spear 剑法 劍法 jiàn fǎ fencing / sword-play 宝剑 寶劍 bǎo jiàn (double-edged) sword (esp. a valuable or famous one) / CL:把[ba3] syn 刀剑 刀劍 dāo jiàn sword 刀锋 刀鋒 dāo fēng cutting edge or point of a knife, sword or tool syn 利剑 利劍 lì jiàn sharp sword 剑身 劍身 jiàn shēn sword blade 出鞘 chū qiào (of a sword etc) to unsheath 轩辕剑 軒轅劍 xuān yuán jiàn sword 剑柄 劍柄 jiàn bǐng sword hilt 佩剑 佩劍 pèi jiàn sword / (fencing) saber 钢刀 鋼刀 gāng dāo steel knife / sword 木剑 木劍 mù jiàn wooden sword 马刀 馬刀 mǎ dāo saber / cavalry sword 舞剑 舞劍 wǔ jiàn to perform a sword-dance 快刀斩乱麻 快刀斬亂麻 kuài dāo zhǎn luàn má lit. quick sword cuts through tangled hemp (idiom) / decisive action in a complex situation / cutting the Gordian knot syn 白刃 bái rèn naked sword syn 尚方宝剑 尚方寶劍 shàng fāng bǎo jiàn variant of 尚方劍|尚方剑[shang4 fang1 jian4] / imperial sword (giving bearer arbitrary powers) / in fiction, Chinese version of 007's license to kill syn 太极剑 太極劍 tài jí jiàn a kind of traditional Chinese sword-play 日本刀 rì běn dāo Japanese sword / katana 宝刀不老 寶刀不老 bǎo dāo bù lǎo lit. a good sword always remains sharp (idiom) / fig. (of one's skills etc) to be as good as ever / the old man still has it syn 刻舟求剑 刻舟求劍 kè zhōu qiú jiàn lit. a notch on the side of a boat to locate a sword dropped overboard (idiom) / fig. an action made pointless by changed circumstances syn 单刀赴会 單刀赴會 dān dāo fù huì lit. to go among enemies with only one's sword (idiom) / fig. to go alone into enemy lines 刀 dāo knife / blade / single-edged sword / cutlass / CL:把[ba3] / (slang) dollar (loanword) / classifier for sets of one hundred sheets (of paper) / classifier for knife cuts or stabs syn 抡 掄 lūn to swing (one's arms, a heavy object) / to wave (a sword, one's fists) / to fling (money) syn 锟 錕 kūn steel sword 铗 鋏 jiá pincers for use at a fire / sword syn 銧 guāng point of a sword 铓 鋩 máng sharp point / point of sword 胯下之辱 kuà xià zhī rǔ lit. the humiliation of having to crawl between the legs of one's adversary (as Han Xin 韓信|韩信[Han2 Xin4] supposedly did rather than engage in a sword fight) (idiom) / fig. (endure) utter humiliation 项庄舞剑 項莊舞劍 xiàng zhuāng wǔ jiàn lit. Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] (idiom, refers to plot to kill Liu Bang during the Hongmen feast 鴻門宴|鸿门宴[Hong2 men2 yan4] in 206 BC) / fig. an elaborate deception hiding malicious intent 磨刀霍霍 mó dāo huò huò lit. to sharpen one's sword (idiom) / fig. to prepare to attack / to be getting ready for battle syn 戠 shì a sword. potter's clay. to gather 上方宝剑 上方寶劍 shàng fāng bǎo jiàn imperial sword (giving bearer plenipotentiary powers) / imperial Chinese version of 007 licensed to kill syn 剑走偏锋 劍走偏鋒 jiàn zǒu piān fēng the sword moves with side stroke (modern idiom) / fig. unexpected winning move / unconventional gambit 剑走蜻蛉 劍走蜻蛉 jiàn zǒu qīng líng the sword moves like a dragon-fly (modern idiom) / fig. unexpected winning move / unconventional gambit 大刀会 大刀會 dà dāo huì Great Sword Society, an offshoot of the White Lotus in the late Qing dynasty, involved in anti-Western activity at the time of the Boxer rebellion 尚方剑 尚方劍 shàng fāng jiàn imperial sword (giving bearer arbitrary powers) / in fiction, Chinese version of 007's license to kill syn 快刀断乱麻 快刀斷亂麻 kuài dāo duàn luàn má lit. quick sword cuts through tangled hemp (idiom) / decisive action in a complex situation / cutting the Gordian knot 打把势 打把勢 dǎ bǎ shi drill (in sword play) / to thrash around / to demonstrate gymnastic skills / to solicit financial help (in an indirect way) / to show off 笔胜于刀文比武强 筆勝於刀文比武強 bǐ shèng yú dāo wén bǐ wǔ qiáng the pen is mightier than the sword (idiom) 竹刀 zhú dāo shinai (bamboo sword for kendō) 刀身 dāo shēn blade (of a knife or sword) 封刀 fēng dāo to hang up the sword 开刃 開刃 kāi rèn to edge a knife, scissor, sword etc 两面刃 兩面刃 liǎng miàn rèn double-edged sword 倒持泰阿 dào chí - tài ē lit. to present the handle of a sword to another (idiom) / fig. to relinquish power to another / to place oneself at another's mercy 泰阿 tài ē name of a famous sword mentioned in ancient texts 