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刀光劍影

简刀光剑影 · 繁刀光劍影

Mandarin · pinyin dāo guāng jiàn yǐng

lit. flash of knives and swords (idiom)
fig. intense conflict

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Characters in this entry

刀: dāo · knife; old coin; measure
光: guāng · light, brilliant, shine; only
劍: Look up this written character
影: yǐng · shadow; image, reflection; photograph
剑: jiàn · sword, dagger, saber

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–1–4–3 · dao1 guang1 jian4 ying3

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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.

刀光劍影 · find source passages ↗ · 刀光剑影 · find source passages ↗

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Rime Cantonese 粵拼

dou1 gwong1 gim3 jing2

Cantonese word readings for 刀光劍影. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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