项庄舞剑 — “To perform an act with a hidden ulterior motive”
项庄舞剑 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to perform an act with a hidden ulterior motive”. Often aimed at harming a specific person or achieving a covert goal. Literally, “Xiang Zhuang's sword dance”.
项庄舞剑 Pronunciation and Pinyin
项庄舞剑 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 项庄舞剑
Origin and Story of 项庄舞剑
In 208 BC, Xiang Yu led an army of 400,000 to Xianyang, but was blocked by Liu Bang's defending forces.
Xiang Bo invited Liu Bang to a banquet at Hongmen. Upon Liu Bang's arrival, Xiang Yu arranged for Xiang Zhuang to perform a sword dance to entertain, intending to seize the opportunity to kill Liu Bang.
Xiang Bo also joined the sword dance, doing his best to protect Liu Bang. Liu Bang's subordinate Fan Kuai then burst into the camp to protect Liu Bang, who seized the chance to escape.
Idioms Related to 项庄舞剑
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Open the tool →Questions about 项庄舞剑
What does 项庄舞剑 mean?
项庄舞剑 (xiàng zhuāng wǔ jiàn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to perform an act with a hidden ulterior motive”.
How do you pronounce 项庄舞剑?
项庄舞剑 is pronounced xiàng zhuāng wǔ jiàn in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 项庄舞剑 literally mean?
Literally, 项庄舞剑 means “Xiang Zhuang's sword dance”. It is used to mean “to perform an act with a hidden ulterior motive”.
Where does 项庄舞剑 come from?
项庄舞剑 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 项庄舞剑?
比喻说话和行动的真实意图别有所指。同“项庄舞剑，意在沛公”