屠刀

túdāo

noun #35,260

Measure Word

一把屠刀 bǎ

Meanings

1 butcher's knife
2 (figurative) instrument of slaughter / weapon used to kill

Characters

to slaughter / butcher

Examples

放下屠刀，立地成佛。

Fàngxià túdāo, lìdì chéngfó.

Lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot.

屠夫挥起屠刀，一刀宰了那头猪。

Túfū huī qǐ túdāo, yī dāo zǎi le nà tóu zhū.

The butcher swung the knife and slaughtered the pig with one stroke.

Tips

history

The Buddhist saying 放下屠刀，立地成佛 ('lay down the butcher's knife and immediately become a Buddha') comes from the Song-era 《五灯会元》 — a doctrine that even the worst sinner can attain enlightenment the moment they renounce evil. By far the most common context for 屠刀.

Stroke Order

屠 tú

刀 dāo