盘马弯弓 — “Circling horse, bending bow”
盘马弯弓 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make a show of being ready to fight or take action, often implying that one is putting on a display rather than intending to act immediately or decisively; to strike an imposing pose without immediate follow-through”. Literally, “Circling horse, bending bow”.
盘马弯弓 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 盘pán
- 马mǎ
- 弯wān
- 弓gōng
盘马弯弓 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 盘马弯弓
Origin and Story of 盘马弯弓
During the Tang Dynasty, Han Yu, who lost his parents at a young age, studied diligently under the care of his sister-in-law. At 25, he passed the imperial examination to become a *jinshi*. However, he wasn't immediately assigned to a high-ranking official position and could only serve as a *tuiguan* (an administrative assistant) under Zhang Jian, a military governor.
Once, he accompanied Zhang Jian on a pheasant hunt and spontaneously composed the poem "Pheasant with an Arrow" (雉带箭).
The lines read: "On the plains, the fire hunt is still and silent; wild pheasants, fearing hawks, appear and disappear. The general wishes to subdue people with skill, circling his horse and bending his bow, yet refrains from shooting." This idiom originated from these lines, describing the general's posture of readiness without immediate action.
Idioms Related to 盘马弯弓
Synonyms of 盘马弯弓
Antonyms of 盘马弯弓
More idioms starting with 盘
- pán盘hù互jiāo交cuò错intertwined and crisscrossed
- pán盘gǔ古kāi开tiān天dì地Pan Gu created the world
- pán盘mù木xiǔ朽zhū株inferior or useless person or thing
- pán盘gēn根jiū究dǐ底investigate thoroughly
- pán盘gēn根cuò错jié节intricate and complex
- pán盘gēn根wèn问dǐ底inquire in great detail
- pán盘shuǐ水jiā加jiàn剑declare readiness for suicide or execution
- pán盘yóu游wú无dù度indulge in excessive pleasure
- pán盘shí石zhī之gù固firm as a rock
- pán盘shí石zhī之ān安rock-solid stability
- pán盘shí石sāng桑bāo苞Stable and deeply rooted
- pán盘shí石quǎn犬yá牙solid interlocking strategic structure
Questions about 盘马弯弓
- What does 盘马弯弓 mean?
- 盘马弯弓 (pán mǎ wān gōng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to make a show of being ready to fight or take action, often implying that one is putting on a display rather than intending to act immediately or decisively; to strike an imposing pose without immediate follow-through”.
- How do you pronounce 盘马弯弓?
- 盘马弯弓 is pronounced pán mǎ wān gōng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 盘马弯弓 literally mean?
- Literally, 盘马弯弓 means “Circling horse, bending bow”. It is used to mean “to make a show of being ready to fight or take action, often implying that one is putting on a display rather than intending to act immediately or decisively; to strike an imposing pose without immediate follow-through”.
- Where does 盘马弯弓 come from?
- 盘马弯弓 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 盘马弯弓?
- 驰马盘旋，张弓要射。形容摆开架势，准备作战。后比喻故做惊人的姿态，实际上并不立即行动。