单刀赴会
dān dāo fù huì
to walk boldly, almost alone, into a risky meeting
Character by character
单dān
single
single
刀dāo
sword
sword
赴fù
go to
go to
会huì
meeting
meeting
Example
对方来了十几个人，他却单刀赴会，一个人去谈判。
The other side brought a dozen people, but he went to the talks alone.
Tone: positive (praise).
Usage and origin
Made famous by 关汉卿’s Yuan opera 单刀会 and by the novel, where 关羽 crosses the river to face 鲁肃. In the 三国志 the generals on both sides came with only a sword each, and it was 鲁肃 who took the lead and did the scolding.
Learn this in Lesson 89 · HSK 6–7: 三国：历史与小说 (The Three Kingdoms: history and the novel)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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