笑里藏刀 — “A knife hidden in a smile”
笑里藏刀 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to conceal malicious intentions or treachery behind a friendly or amiable facade; to be outwardly pleasant but inwardly dangerous or deceitful”. Literally, “A knife hidden in a smile”.
笑里藏刀 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 笑xiào
- 里lǐ
- 藏cáng
- 刀dāo
笑里藏刀 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 笑里藏刀
Origin and Story of 笑里藏刀
During the Three Kingdoms period, Jingzhou's crucial geographical location made it a hotly contested strategic point. In 217 AD, Lu Su passed away due to illness. The 'honeymoon period' of the Sun-Liu alliance against Cao Cao had come to an end. At that time, Guan Yu was guarding Jingzhou. Sun Quan had long harbored ambitions to seize Jingzhou, but the timing wasn't right.
Shortly after, Guan Yu launched an attack on Fancheng, which was controlled by Cao Cao. Fearing potential problems in his rear, he left a significant force stationed in Gong'an and Nan Commandery to defend Jingzhou. Lu Meng, a senior general under Sun Quan, believed the time was ripe to take Jingzhou. However, being ill, he suggested that Sun Quan appoint the then-unknown young general Lu Xun to take his place and guard Lukou.
Upon assuming command, Lu Xun showed no obvious ambition. He devised a strategy of feigned goodwill with Guan Yu while secretly preparing for battle. He sent a letter to Guan Yu, in which he lavishly praised Guan Yu, stating that his achievements and prestige were on par with Duke Wen of Jin and Han Xin. Lu Xun modestly described himself as a mere scholar, too young to bear such a great responsibility, and asked Guan Yu for much guidance.
Guan Yu, being arrogant, conceited, and dismissive of others, laughed heartily after reading Lu Xun's letter, exclaiming, "No worries about Jiangdong anymore!" He immediately transferred most of the troops defending Jingzhou to focus entirely on attacking Fancheng. Lu Xun also secretly sent word to Cao Cao, arranging for a joint attack to sandwich Guan Yu.
Sun Quan, convinced that the time to capture Jingzhou was ripe, dispatched Lu Meng as the vanguard to advance towards Jingzhou. Lu Meng concealed elite troops inside warships disguised as merchant vessels. Traveling day and night, they launched a surprise attack and captured the southern area. Upon receiving the news, Guan Yu hastily led his troops back, but it was too late; Sun Quan's army had already occupied Jingzhou. Guan Yu was forced to retreat to Maicheng.
Idioms Related to 笑里藏刀
Antonyms of 笑里藏刀
More idioms starting with 笑
- xiào笑bù不kě可yǎng仰laugh so hard one cannot stand
- xiào笑zhōng中yǒu有dāo刀friendly on the outside, evil on the inside
- xiào笑ào傲fēng风yuè月Live a carefree life, enjoying nature
- xiào笑chù处cáng藏dāo刀hide a dagger behind a smile
- xiào笑róng容kě可jū掬beaming with smiles
- xiào笑róng容mǎn满miàn面beaming with joy
- xiào笑bǐ比hé河qīng清rarely smiles, stern and serious
- xiào笑ér而bù不dá答smile without answering
- xiào笑yǔ语zhǐ指huī麾directing with laughter and conversation
- xiào笑mào貌shēng声yīn音facial expression and manner of speaking
- xiào笑zhú逐yán颜kāi开To beam with smiles
- xiào笑miàn面yè夜chā叉wolf in sheep's clothing
Questions about 笑里藏刀
- What does 笑里藏刀 mean?
- 笑里藏刀 (xiào lǐ cáng dāo) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to conceal malicious intentions or treachery behind a friendly or amiable facade; to be outwardly pleasant but inwardly dangerous or deceitful”.
- How do you pronounce 笑里藏刀?
- 笑里藏刀 is pronounced xiào lǐ cáng dāo in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 笑里藏刀 literally mean?
- Literally, 笑里藏刀 means “a knife hidden in a smile”. It is used to mean “to conceal malicious intentions or treachery behind a friendly or amiable facade; to be outwardly pleasant but inwardly dangerous or deceitful”.
- Where does 笑里藏刀 come from?
- 笑里藏刀 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 笑里藏刀?
- 形容对人外表和气，却阴险毒辣。