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荷槍實彈

简荷枪实弹 · 繁荷槍實彈

Mandarin · pinyin hè qiāng shí dàn

(idiom) armed
carrying a loaded firearm

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Characters in this entry

荷: hé · lotus, water lily; Holland
槍: Look up this written character
實: shí · real, true, solid, honest
彈: Look up this written character
枪: qiāng · spear, lance; gun, rifle
实: shí · real, true; honest, sincere
弹: dàn · pellet, bullet, shot, shell

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

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Mandarin tones

4–1–2–4 · he4 qiang1 shi2 dan4

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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.

荷槍實彈 · find source passages ↗ · 荷枪实弹 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

ho6 coeng1 sat6 daan2

Cantonese word readings for 荷槍實彈. 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.

phrase

(idiomatic) to carry loaded guns; to be fully armed

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

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