刀光剑影 (dāo guāng jiàn yǐng) — (idiom) glint and flash of cold steel; heated combat or rivalry

Definition

Literary chengyu evoking the flashing of blades in close combat, used figuratively for fierce rivalry or conflict. More vivid and figurative than just saying 战斗.

idiom
glint and flash of cold steelheated combat or rivalry

Examples

  • 刀光剑影，。
    Zhàn chǎng shàng dāo guāng jiàn yǐng, shì bīng men háo bú wèi jù.
    On the battlefield, with glinting swords and flashing shadows, the soldiers were fearless.
  • ，刀光剑影。
    Shāng chǎng rú zhàn chǎng, chù chù dōu shì dāo guāng jiàn yǐng.
    The business world is like a battlefield; there are glints and flashes everywhere.
  • 刀光剑影。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng chōng mǎn le dāo guāng jiàn yǐng de dǎ dòu chǎng miàn.
    This movie is full of sword-fighting scenes with glints and shadows.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

刀光blade gleam
刀dāoblade光guānggleam
偏正Modifier + head
剑影sword shadow
剑jiànsword影yǐngshadow
偏正Modifier + head

刀光 and 剑影 place blade gleams and sword shadows side by side, evoking heated combat.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 刀 comes from a simple picture of a knife.

Open 刀 →

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

  • 火火huǒfire
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The shape 光 places 火 (fire) above 卩 (a kneeling person), showing fire over the head and the shining of light.

Open 光 →

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 劍; 剑 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
刂Written in full as刀dāo
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān劍jiàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 劍 pairs 僉 as the sound part with 刂, a knife sign written as 刀, as the meaning part; the simplified 剑 is a later shorthand.

Open 剑 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
景
景jǐng影yǐng
Same sound today

影 pairs 景, which gives the sound and also carries the idea of image, with 彡, the part that points to shadow.

Open 影 →

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