暗箭

ànjiàn

noun #28,376

Meanings

1 an arrow shot from hiding
2 (figurative) a covert attack; a stab in the back

Characters

dark; hidden; secret

Examples

他从不正面攻击，总是放暗箭伤人。

Tā cóng bù zhèngmiàn gōngjī, zǒng shì fàng ànjiàn shāng rén.

He never attacks openly — he always stabs people in the back.

明枪好躲，暗箭难防。

Míng qiāng hǎo duǒ, ànjiàn nán fáng.

It is easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow from the dark.

Tips

culture

The proverb 「明枪好躲，暗箭难防」 (easy to dodge an open spear, hard to guard against a hidden arrow) is widely used to describe backstabbing or covert sabotage.

Stroke Order

暗 àn

箭 jiàn