项庄舞剑，意在沛公

xiàng zhuāng wǔ jiàn , yì zài pèi gōng

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Definitions

1. lit. Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang 劉邦|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 鴻門宴|鸿门宴[hóng mén yàn]
2. an elaborate deception to hide malicious intent

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Child Words of 项庄舞剑，意在沛公

• 公 公 gōng: public
• 剑 剑 jiàn: double-edged sword
• 在 在 zài: to exist; to be alive
• 舞 舞 wǔ: to dance
• 项 项 xiàng: back of neck
• 意 意 yì: idea
• 沛 沛 pèi: copious
• 沛公 沛公 pèi gōng: Duke of Pei (i.e. 劉邦|刘邦[liú bāng])
• 舞剑 舞剑 wǔ jiàn: to perform a sword-dance
• 庄 庄 zhuāng: farmstead
• 项庄舞剑 项庄舞剑 xiàng zhuāng wǔ jiàn: lit. Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance, but his mind is set on Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[liú bāng] (idiom, refers to plot to kill Liu Bang during the Hongmen feast 鴻門宴|鸿门宴[hóng mén yàn] in 206 BC)