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剑拔弩张 (jiàn bá nǔ zhāng) — to be at daggers drawn; to be in a tense, confrontational state

Definition

A chengyu for an extremely tense, confrontational standoff between two sides (talks, armies, etc.) — stronger than 紧张 ('tense'), which only describes the atmosphere.

idiom
to be at daggers drawnto be in a tenseconfrontational state

Examples

  • 剑拔弩张，。
    Tán pàn shuāng fāng jiàn bá nǔ zhāng, qì fen fēi cháng jǐn zhāng.
    The two sides of the negotiation were at daggers drawn; the atmosphere was extremely tense.
  • 剑拔弩张，。
    Liǎng guó jūn duì zài biān jìng jiàn bá nǔ zhāng, zhàn zhēng yí chù jí fā.
    The armies of the two countries were at daggers drawn at the border; war was imminent.
  • ，剑拔弩张，。
    Huì yì yì kāi shǐ, shuāng fāng jiù jiàn bá nǔ zhāng, hù xiāng zhǐ zé.
    As soon as the meeting started, both sides were at daggers drawn, accusing each other.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

剑拔sword drawn
剑jiànsword拔bádrawn
主谓Subject + predicate
弩张crossbow strung
弩nǔcrossbow张zhāngstrung
主谓Subject + predicate

剑 means sword and 拔 means drawn; 弩 means crossbow and 张 means strung, so the two images show tense confrontation.

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 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
扌Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
犮
犮bá拔bá
Same sound today

In 拔, the left side 扌 is a hand and the right side 犮 gives the sound; the shape pictures a hand pulling.

Open 拔 →

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
弓弓gōngbow
Sound part声符shēngfú
奴
奴nú弩nǔ
Same sound today

弩 pairs 弓 (bow) with 奴, which gives the sound.

Open 弩 →

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 張; 张 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōngbow
Sound part声符shēngfú
長
長cháng張zhāng
Same sound today

The traditional form 張 combines 弓, a bow, with 長, which points to the sound; the simplified 张 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 张 →
Appears in
Conflict & AgreementIdioms & Set Phrases

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