項莊舞劍，意在沛公

Chinese

		Xiang Zhuang	to dance; to wield; to brandish	(double-edged) sword		idea; meaning; wish idea; meaning; wish; desire; Italy (abbrev.)	(located) at; in; exist (located) at; in; exist; (before verbs) immediately involved in; right in the middle of doing	Duke of [[w:Pei Commandery; Liu Bang
trad. (項莊舞劍，意在沛公)		項莊	舞	劍	，	意	在	沛公
simp. (项庄舞剑，意在沛公)		项庄	舞	剑	，	意	在	沛公

Etymology

From the Records of the Grand Historian. In 206 BC, late Qin dynasty warlord Xiang Yu invited his rival Liu Bang to a feast at Hongmen (鴻門宴／鸿门宴 (hóngményàn)). During this feast, Xiang Yu's cousin, Xiang Zhuang, tried to assassinate Liu Bang (also known as the Duke of Pei) by pretending to offer to perform a sword dance.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): Xiàng Zhuāng wǔ jiàn, yì zài Pèigōng

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄓㄨㄤ ㄨˇ ㄐㄧㄢˋ , ㄧˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄆㄟˋ ㄍㄨㄥ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): hong⁶ zong¹ mou⁵ gim³, ji³ zoi⁶ pui³ gung¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: Xiàng Zhuāng wǔ jiàn, yì zài Pèigōng
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄓㄨㄤ ㄨˇ ㄐㄧㄢˋ , ㄧˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄆㄟˋ ㄍㄨㄥ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: Siàng Jhuang wǔ jiàn, yì zài Pèigong
    • Wade–Giles: Hsiang⁴ Chuang¹ wu³ chien⁴, i⁴ tsai⁴ Pʻei⁴-kung¹
    • Yale: Syàng Jwāng wǔ jyàn-, yì dzài Pèi-gūng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Shianq Juang wuu jiann, yih tzay Peygong
    • Palladius: Сян Чжуан у цзянь, и цзай Пэйгун (Sjan Čžuan u czjanʹ, i czaj Pɛjgun)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ u²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ pʰeɪ̯⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: hong⁶ zong¹ mou⁵ gim³, ji³ zoi⁶ pui³ gung¹
    • Yale: hohng jōng móuh gim, yi joih pui gūng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hong⁶ dzong¹ mou⁵ gim³, ji³ dzoi⁶ pui³ gung¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: hong⁶ zong¹ mou⁵ gim³, yi³ zoi⁶ pui³ gung¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɔːŋ²² t͡sɔːŋ⁵⁵ mou̯¹³ kiːm³³ jiː³³ t͡sɔːi̯²² pʰuːi̯³³ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

Idiom

項莊舞劍，意在沛公

1. to have other disguised intentions