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