圖窮匕見

Chinese

		diagram; to plan; picture diagram; to plan; picture; drawing; chart	exhausted; poor	dagger; ladle; an ancient type of spoon	Alternative form of 現／现 (xiàn)
trad. (圖窮匕見)		圖	窮	匕	見
simp. (图穷匕见)		图	穷	匕	见
alternative forms		圖窮匕現／图穷匕现
Literally: “When the map is unrolled, the dagger is revealed”.

Alternative forms

• 圖窮匕首見／图穷匕首见 (túqióngbǐshǒuxiàn)

Etymology

From the story of Jing Ke [227 BC], who tried to assassinate Ying Zheng (who later became the first emperor of China) using a dagger concealed inside a map scroll.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): túqióngbǐxiàn

  (Zhuyin): ㄊㄨˊ ㄑㄩㄥˊ ㄅㄧˇ ㄒㄧㄢˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): tou⁴ kung⁴ bei⁶ jin⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: túqióngbǐxiàn
    • Zhuyin: ㄊㄨˊ ㄑㄩㄥˊ ㄅㄧˇ ㄒㄧㄢˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: túcyóngbǐsiàn
    • Wade–Giles: tʻu²-chʻiung²-pi³-hsien⁴
    • Yale: tú-chyúng-bǐ-syàn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: twuchyongbiishiann
    • Palladius: туцюнбисянь (tucjunbisjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰu³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ʊŋ³⁵ pi²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: tou⁴ kung⁴ bei⁶ jin⁶
    • Yale: tòuh kùhng beih yihn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tou⁴ kung⁴ bei⁶ jin⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: tou⁴ kung⁴ béi⁶ yin⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰou̯²¹ kʰʊŋ²¹ pei̯²² jiːn²²/

Idiom

圖窮匕見

1. to expose the hidden malicious intents at the end