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折衝樽俎

简折冲樽俎 · 繁折衝樽俎

Mandarin · pinyin zhé chōng zūn zǔ

lit. to stop the enemy at the banquet table
fig. to get the better of an enemy during diplomatic functions

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Characters in this entry

折: zhé · break off, snap; bend
衝: Look up this written character
樽: zūn · goblet; jar, jug; lush
俎: zǔ · chopping board or block; painted
冲: chōng · soar; pour boiling water over

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

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Mandarin tones

2–1–1–3 · zhe2 chong1 zun1 zu3

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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.

折衝樽俎 · find source passages ↗ · 折冲樽俎 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

phrase

(literally) to stop the enemy at the banquet table
(figurative) to get the better of an enemy during diplomatic functions

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

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