化干戈为玉帛

化干戈為玉帛
huàgāngēwéiyùbó
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to turn weapons into jade and silk
  2. 2 to turn hostility into friendship
  3. 3 to make peace

Examples

Shuāngfāng jīngguò tánpàn, zhōngyú huàgāngēwéiyùbó.
After negotiations, the two sides finally turned conflict into friendship.
Tā quàn liǎng jiā rén huàgāngēwéiyùbó, héhǎo rúchū.
He urged the two families to make peace and restore their old friendship.

Tips

history
From 《·》: the legendary Yu the Great dismantled walls, burned weapons, and spread virtue — ten thousand states then came bearing jade and silk () as tribute.
culture
干戈 = weapons of war (shield and dagger-axe); = jade and silk, traditional diplomatic gifts. The contrast is a standard shorthand for war vs. peace.

Stroke Order

huà
gàn
wèi