宝刀不老 — “The precious sword is not old”
宝刀不老 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be still capable and skillful despite one's advanced age or long absence from a particular field; one's abilities remain undiminished, like a treasured sword that never loses its sharpness”. Literally, “The precious sword is not old”.
宝刀不老 Pronunciation and Pinyin
宝刀不老 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 宝刀不老
Origin and Story of 宝刀不老
During the Three Kingdoms period, Wei general Zhang He attacked the Hanzhong region of Shu. The defending general sent an urgent report.
The veteran general Huang Zhong volunteered to lead the expedition, bringing along another old general, Yan Yan, as his deputy.
When the two armies confronted each other at the pass, Zhang He ridiculed Huang Zhong, saying he was too old to be fighting. Huang Zhong, filled with righteous anger, retorted, "How dare you, young man, mock my age! My treasured sword is not old!"
This idiom later evolved to describe someone whose skills and abilities remain as sharp as ever, despite their advanced age or long period of inactivity.
Idioms Related to 宝刀不老
Synonyms of 宝刀不老
Antonyms of 宝刀不老
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Open the tool →Questions about 宝刀不老
What does 宝刀不老 mean?
宝刀不老 (bǎo dāo bù lǎo) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be still capable and skillful despite one's advanced age or long absence from a particular field; one's abilities remain undiminished, like a treasured sword that never loses its sharpness”.
How do you pronounce 宝刀不老?
宝刀不老 is pronounced bǎo dāo bù lǎo in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 宝刀不老 literally mean?
Literally, 宝刀不老 means “the precious sword is not old”. It is used to mean “to be still capable and skillful despite one's advanced age or long absence from a particular field; one's abilities remain undiminished, like a treasured sword that never loses its sharpness”.
Where does 宝刀不老 come from?
宝刀不老 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 宝刀不老?
比喻虽然年龄已大或脱离本行已久，但功夫技术并没减退。