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拔剑 (bá jiàn) — to draw a sword (from its sheath)

Definition

A literary verb meaning 'to draw a sword' — usually a 剑 (double-edged) and almost always in wuxia novels, historical fiction, or classical-flavored writing. The object is 剑 specifically; for 单刃 daggers or 刀 sabers use 拔刀 instead.

verb
to draw a sword (from its sheath)

Examples

  • 拔剑，。
    Tā xùn sù bá jiàn, zhǔn bèi zhàn dòu.
    He quickly drew his sword, ready to fight.
  • ，。
    Tā bá le sān cì jiàn, dàn dōu méi yǒu chū shǒu.
    He drew his sword three times, but never made a move.
  • ，拔剑。
    Xiǎo shuō lǐ, gāo shǒu cháng cháng zài guān jiàn shí kè bá jiàn.
    In novels, masters often draw their swords at critical moments.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

拔bápull out
剑jiànsword

“拔” means pull out and “剑” means sword, so the word means to draw a sword.

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
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.

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 →
Appears in
Military & Defense

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