暗箭伤人
暗箭伤人 (àn jiàn shāng rén) literally means “hidden arrow wounds person” and expresses “covert attacks avoiding direct confrontation”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving strategy and action.
Also searched as: an jian shang ren, an jian shang ren,暗箭伤人 meaning, 暗箭伤人 in english
Covert attacks avoiding direct confrontation
Pronunciation: àn jiàn shāng rén Literal meaning: Hidden arrow wounds person
Origin & Usage
In the Zuo Zhuan, Ying Kaoshu seizes the duke's banner and is first up the wall in the assault on Xu; 子都自下射之，颠 — Zidu, a jealous colleague on his own side, shot him from below and he fell. A hidden (暗) arrow (箭) wounds (伤) a man (人) who has no reason to be guarding that direction at all, and the treachery rather than the concealment is what the phrase names. Covert attack, most often the kind that does its work on a reputation.
Examples
English: "The employee spread anonymous criticisms about colleagues instead of addressing issues directly"
Chinese: 这名员工散布关于同事的匿名批评，而不是直接解决问题
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about strategy & action
一箭双雕
yī jiàn shuāng diāo
Two aims with one act
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暗度陈仓
àn dù chén cāng
Achieve secretly through misdirection
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柳暗花明
liǔ àn huā míng
Hope appears in darkness
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退避三舍
tuì bì sān shè
Make concessions to avoid conflict
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捕风捉影
bǔ fēng zhuō yǐng
Make accusations without solid evidence
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不择手段
bú zé shǒu duàn
Use any means regardless of ethics
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瓜田李下
guā tián lǐ xià
Avoid situations that invite suspicion
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自以为是
zì yǐ wéi shì
Self-righteous; opinionated
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 暗箭伤人 mean in English?
暗箭伤人 (àn jiàn shāng rén) literally translates to “Hidden arrow wounds person” and is used to express “Covert attacks avoiding direct confrontation”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Strategy & Action category.
When is 暗箭伤人 used?
Situation: The employee spread anonymous criticisms about colleagues instead of addressing issues directly
What is the pinyin for 暗箭伤人?
The pinyin pronunciation for 暗箭伤人 is “àn jiàn shāng rén”.