单刀赴会 (dān dāo fù huì) — to go alone to a meeting (especially one fraught with danger); to face a challenge or enemy single-handedly

Definition

An idiom meaning to go into a risky meeting or confrontation alone, showing courage and self-reliance.

idiom
to go alone to a meeting (especially one fraught with danger)to face a challenge or enemy single-handedly

Examples

  • ，单刀赴会。
    Tán pàn duì shǒu hěn qiáng yìng, tā jué dìng dān dāo fù huì.
    The negotiation opponent was very tough, so he decided to go to the meeting alone.
  • ，单刀赴会，。
    Miàn duì wēi jī, tā gǎn yú dān dāo fù huì, lìng rén pèi fú.
    Faced with a crisis, he dared to go alone — admirable.
  • ，单刀赴会。
    Zhè chǎng biàn lùn zhǐ yǒu tā yì rén dài biǎo tuán duì, jiǎn zhí shì dān dāo fù huì.
    He was the only one representing the team in this debate — it was practically a single-handed confrontation.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 單; 单 is its simplified writing.

The form 單 originally pictured a Y-shaped wooden stick with two stones on top.

Open 单 →

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 →

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
走走zǒurunning
Sound part声符shēngfú
卜
卜bǔ赴fù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

赴 pairs 走, meaning running, with 卜, which gives the sound.

Open 赴 →

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 會; 会 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
合合héto meet
Sound part声符shēngfú
𡆧
𡆧𡆧會huì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Traditional 會 pairs 合 (to meet) with 𡆧, an original form for ironware, to give the sound. The simplified 会 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 会 →

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