放冷箭

fànglěngjiàn

idiom

Meanings

1 to shoot a cold arrow
2 to attack someone in secret
3 to backstab, to snipe from the shadows

Characters

Examples

HSK 4

网络上放冷箭的人太多了。

Wǎngluò shàng fànglěngjiàn de rén tài duō le.

There are too many anonymous snipers online.

HSK 5

他表面客气，背后却老放冷箭。

Tā biǎomiàn kèqi, bèihòu què lǎo fànglěngjiàn.

He's polite to your face, but he's always taking shots behind your back.

HSK 7-9

开会要当面说，不要事后放冷箭。

Kāihuì yào dāngmiàn shuō, bùyào shìhòu fànglěngjiàn.

Say it in the meeting - don't snipe afterwards.

Tips

memory

A 'cold arrow' is one fired from hiding - you never see it coming. Lu Xun riffed on the phrase in 《无花的蔷薇》: the victim knows he's hit but has no idea where the arrow came from.

Stroke Order

放 fàng

冷 lěng

箭 jiàn