項莊舞劍，意在沛公

Chinese

		Xiang Zhuang	to dance; to wield; to brandish	(double-edged) sword		idea; meaning; wish idea; meaning; wish; desire; Italy (abbrev.)	(located) at; in; exist (located) at; in; exist; (before verbs) immediately involved in; right in the middle of doing	Duke of [[w:Pei Commandery; Liu Bang
trad. (項莊舞劍，意在沛公)		項莊	舞	劍	，	意	在	沛公
simp. (项庄舞剑，意在沛公)		项庄	舞	剑	，	意	在	沛公

Etymology

From the Records of the Grand Historian. In 206 BC, late Qin dynasty warlord Xiang Yu invited his rival Liu Bang to a feast at Hongmen (鴻門宴 / 鸿门宴 (hóngményàn)). During this feast, Xiang Yu's cousin, Xiang Zhuang, tried to assassinate Liu Bang (also known as the Duke of Pei) by pretending to offer to perform a sword dance.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): Xiàng Zhuāng wǔ jiàn, yì zài Pèigōng

(Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄓㄨㄤㄨˇ ㄐㄧㄢˋ , ㄧˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄆㄟˋ ㄍㄨㄥ
Cantonese (Jyutping): hong⁶ zong¹ mou⁵ gim³, ji³ zoi⁶ pui³ gung¹

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: Xiàng Zhuāng wǔ jiàn, yì zài Pèigōng
  - Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄓㄨㄤㄨˇ ㄐㄧㄢˋ , ㄧˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄆㄟˋ ㄍㄨㄥ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: Siàng Jhuang wǔ jiàn, yì zài Pèigong
  - Wade–Giles: Hsiang⁴ Chuang¹ wu³ chien⁴, i⁴ tsai⁴ Pʻei⁴-kung¹
  - Yale: Syàng Jwāng wǔ jyàn-, yì dzài Pèi-gūng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Shianq Juang wuu jiann, yih tzay Peygong
  - Palladius: Сян Чжуан у цзянь, и цзай Пэйгун (Sjan Čžuan u czjanʹ, i czaj Pɛjgun)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ u²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ pʰeɪ̯⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: hong⁶ zong¹ mou⁵ gim³, ji³ zoi⁶ pui³ gung¹
  - Yale: hohng jōng móuh gim, yi joih pui gūng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: hong⁶ dzong¹ mou⁵ gim³, ji³ dzoi⁶ pui³ gung¹
  - Guangdong Romanization: hong⁶ zong¹ mou⁵ gim³, yi³ zoi⁶ pui³ gung¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɔːŋ²² t͡sɔːŋ⁵⁵ mou̯¹³ kiːm³³ jiː³³ t͡sɔːi̯²² pʰuːi̯³³ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

Idiom

項莊舞劍，意在沛公

to have other disguised intentions