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枪林弹雨 (qiāng lín dàn yǔ) — hail of bullets; fierce battle conditions (idiomatic)

Definition

Idiom for an intense battlefield with gunfire and shells flying everywhere — used to evoke extreme combat conditions, not a specific type of weapon.

idiom
hail of bulletsfierce battle conditions (idiomatic)

Examples

  • 枪林弹雨，。
    Zhàn chǎng shàng qiāng lín dàn yǔ, shì bīng men réng rán yǒng gǎn xiàng qián.
    On the battlefield under a hail of bullets, the soldiers still bravely advanced.
  • 枪林弹雨，。
    Tā céng jīng jīng lì guò qiāng lín dàn yǔ, rú jīn tán qǐ zhàn zhēng réng xīn yǒu yú jì.
    He has experienced a hail of bullets before, and talking about war today still gives him a lingering fear.
  • 枪林弹雨，。
    Jì zhě zài qiāng lín dàn yǔ zhōng jiān chí cǎi fǎng, jì lù xià zuì zhēn shí de lì shǐ.
    The journalist insisted on reporting through the hail of bullets, recording the truest history.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

枪林forest of guns
枪qiānggun林línforest
偏正Modifier + head
弹雨rain of bullets
弹tánbullet雨yǔrain
偏正Modifier + head

'枪' and '弹' are weapons and bullets, '林' and '雨' picture them as a forest and a downpour, together suggesting intense fire.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 槍; 枪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
倉
倉cāng槍qiāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 槍 pairs 木 (wood) with 倉 as a sound part; the simplified 枪 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.

Open 枪 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

林 is made of two 木 (tree) placed side by side, showing many trees together, hence a forest.

Open 林 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 彈; 弹 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōng
Sound part声符shēngfú
單
單dān彈tán
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彈 pairs 弓 (bow) with the sound part 單; the simplified 弹 is a shorthand.

Open 弹 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 雨 is an old picture of a cloud with rain drops falling from it; the top line was added later.

Open 雨 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesMilitary & Defense

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