三国·Three Kingdoms

单刀赴会dān dāo fù huì

What does 单刀赴会 mean?

To walk alone into a dangerous situation with calm courage, relying on nerve rather than numbers

xíngróngréndàibāngshǒuzhèndìngyǒnggǎnjìnwēixiǎnmiàn

Historical origin

In the Three Kingdoms period, Lu Su invited Guan Yu to a banquet in Wu and secretly hid soldiers behind screens to pressure him about Jingzhou. Guan Yu crossed the river accompanied only by Zhou Cang, who carried his great blade, sat calmly through Lu Su's demands, and then left while holding Lu Su's arm, so the hidden soldiers did not dare to act.

关羽 · Guan Yu鲁肃 · Lu Su周仓 · Zhou Cang

How do you use 单刀赴会 in a sentence?

When everyone else was afraid to negotiate with the angry crowd, Maya walked into the tense meeting alone and unarmed — a true 单刀赴会 — and solved the problem with calm resolve.

dāngréndōugǎnfènderénqúntánpànshíxiǎomíngrénzhèndìngzǒujìnhuìchǎnglěngjìngjiějuélewènzhēnshìdāndāohuìdeyǒng

Common mistake

Do not use this idiom for ordinary solo activities, like going alone to school or eating by yourself. It is only for facing a dangerous or high-pressure situation with courage.

yàozhèchéngyòngzàitōngderénxíngdòngshàngshàngxuéhuòchīfànzhǐshìxíngróngyǒnggǎnmiànduìwēixiǎnhuòhěndemiàn

The illustrated storybook

Lu Su has set a trap at the banquet: soldiers hidden, wine ready. Guan Yu arrives with only a single sword, sits at the table, and speaks calmly. The trapped men become uncertain. Who traps whom depends on who is afraid.

()()(zài)(yàn)()(shàng)()(zhì)(le)(xiàn)(jǐng)——()(bīng)(mái)()(měi)(jiǔ)(bèi)(hǎo)(guān)()(zhī)(xié)(dān)(dāo)()(yàn)(luò)(zuò)(cóng)(róng)(ér)(tán)(mái)()(de)(shì)(bīng)(fǎn)(ér)(xīn)(shēng)()()(shuí)(shì)(xiàn)(jǐng)()(de)(rén)()(jué)()(shuí)(gèng)(xīn)()

Sign in to purchase

智慧典故系列 · Wisdom Series · Tales of China

单刀赴会 · Single Sword at the Banquet — Tales of China