两肋插刀

兩肋插刀

liǎnglèichādāo

idiom #26,673

Meanings

1 to go to any lengths for a friend
2 to sacrifice oneself out of loyalty
3 lit. to take knives in both sides

Characters

to insert; to stick into

Examples

为了兄弟，他愿意两肋插刀。

Wèile xiōngdì, tā yuànyì liǎng lèi chā dāo.

For the sake of his brothers, he was willing to sacrifice everything.

朋友有难，我一定两肋插刀。

Péngyou yǒu nàn, wǒ yīdìng liǎng lèi chā dāo.

If a friend is in trouble, I'll go to any lengths to help.

Tips

history

This idiom originates from stories of brotherhood and loyalty in Chinese martial culture. 肋 refers to the ribs — having knives plunged into both sides yet still standing for a friend represents the ultimate devotion.

register

Used in contexts of deep friendship or brotherhood (义气). More common in colloquial speech among close friends or in action/drama contexts.

Stroke Order

两 liǎng

肋 lèi

插 chā

刀 dāo