回马枪

回馬槍
huímǎqiāng
noun #43,977

Meanings

  1. 1 sudden counterattack
  2. 2 lit. a spear thrust as one wheels the horse around
  3. 3 (fig.) catching a pursuer off guard

Examples

HSK 7-9
Tā shā le ge huímǎqiāng, bǎ duìshǒu dǎ le ge cuòshǒubùjí.
He turned around and counterattacked, catching his opponent completely off guard.
HSK 7-9
Qiúduì xiàbànchǎng lái le ge huímǎqiāng, lián jìn liǎng qiú.
The team made a sharp comeback in the second half, scoring two goals in a row.

Tips

culture
From classical battlefield tactics: a horseman pretends to flee, then suddenly turns and thrusts his spear at the pursuer. Famously used by 马超 in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The fixed phrase is 杀回马枪 - 'to deal out a turn-around spear.'
usage
Now used widely beyond combat - in business, sports, exams, debates - whenever someone makes a surprise comeback or unexpected counter-move.

Stroke Order

回 huí
马 mǎ
枪 qiāng