Dictionary › 项庄舞剑，意在沛公

项庄舞剑，意在沛公

Xiàng Zhuāng wǔ jiàn , yì zài Pèi gōng

9-character word Traditional 項莊舞劍，意在沛公

What 项庄舞剑，意在沛公 means

1. lit. Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang {刘邦|Liú Bāng} (idiom); refers to 206 BC plot to murder Liu Bang, aka Duke of Pei {沛公|Pèi gōng} and the future Han emperor, during a sword dance at the Hongmen feast {鸿门宴|Hóng mén yàn}
2. an elaborate deception to hide malicious intent

The characters in 项庄舞剑，意在沛公

• 项xiàngback of neck; item; thing
• 庄zhuāngfarmstead; village; manor
• 舞wǔto dance; to wield; to brandish
• 剑jiàndouble-edged sword; classifier for blows of a sword
• 意yì(bound form) idea; thought; meaning; sense; (bound form) intention; feeling; inclination…
• 在zàito exist; to be alive; (of sb or sth) to be (located) at…
• 沛pèicopious; abundant
• 公gōngpublic; collectively owned; common