唇枪舌剑 (chún qiāng shé jiàn) — sharp-tongued debate; a war of words; heated verbal exchange

Definition

A chengyu for a fierce, sharp-tongued exchange — literally 'lips like guns, tongues like swords.' Always describes a heated verbal confrontation, never a friendly chat.

idiom
sharp-tongued debatea war of wordsheated verbal exchange

Examples

  • 唇枪舌剑，。
    Liǎng wèi biàn shǒu zài tái shàng chún qiāng shé jiàn, shuí yě bú ràng shuí.
    The two debaters engaged in a war of words on stage, neither willing to give in.
  • 唇枪舌剑，。
    Zhè chǎng tǎo lùn biàn chéng le chún qiāng shé jiàn, dà jiā dōu wàng le zuì chū de wèn tí.
    This discussion turned into a heated verbal spat, and everyone forgot the original issue.
  • 唇枪舌剑，。
    Jì zhě yǔ zhèng kè chún qiāng shé jiàn, qì fen fēi cháng jǐn zhāng.
    The journalist and the politician engaged in a sharp-tongued debate, and the atmosphere was very tense.

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.

唇枪lips like spears
唇chúnlips枪qiāngspear
主谓Subject + predicate
舌剑tongue like sword
舌shétongue剑jiànsword
主谓Subject + predicate

唇 “lips” and 枪 “spear”, 舌 “tongue” and 剑 “sword” picture a sharp verbal battle.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
辰
辰chén唇
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

唇 is built from 口, meaning mouth, and 辰, which points to its sound.

Open 唇 →

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 →

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

舌 was drawn as a snake's forked tongue rising from an open mouth.

Open 舌 →

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 →

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