劍指

简 剑指 · 繁 劍指
Mandarin · pinyin jiàn zhǐ

Meanings

  1. (fig.) to target; to set one's sights on (a goal, problem etc)
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Characters in this entry

劍
Look up this written character
指
zhǐ · finger, toe; point, indicate
剑
jiàn · sword, dagger, saber
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–3 · jian4 zhi3

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

劍指 · find source passages ↗ · 剑指 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

gim3 zi2

Cantonese word readings for 劍指. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

noun

  1. (martial arts, dance, opera) a hand gesture in which the index and middle fingers are pointed together, while the thumbs are pressed to the ring and little fingers

verb

  1. (figurative) to target; to aim for (a goal, issue, etc.)

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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