鸿门宴

鴻門宴

Hóngményàn

noun #61,264

Meanings

1 the Hongmen Banquet (206 BC), at which Xiang Yu let his rival Liu Bang escape
2 a banquet set as a trap

Characters

swan goose (鸿门, Hongmen)

Examples

HSK 4

他突然请我吃饭，我怕这是一场鸿门宴。

Tā tūrán qǐng wǒ chīfàn, wǒ pà zhè shì yì chǎng Hóngményàn.

He suddenly invited me to dinner; I'm afraid it's a trap.

HSK 6

刘邦在鸿门宴上差点被杀。

Liú Bāng zài Hóngményàn shàng chàdiǎn bèi shā.

Liu Bang was nearly killed at the Hongmen Banquet.

HSK 6

老板摆了一桌鸿门宴，想逼大家签新合同。

Lǎobǎn bǎi le yì zhuō Hóngményàn, xiǎng bī dàjiā qiān xīn hétong.

The boss laid on a 'Hongmen banquet' to pressure everyone into signing new contracts.

Tips

history

In 206 BC 项羽's adviser 范增 planned to have 刘邦 killed at a feast at Hongmen, near Xianyang. 项庄 performed a sword dance meant to end in a stabbing, which gave the saying 项庄舞剑，意在沛公 'Xiang Zhuang's sword dance is aimed at the Duke of Pei'. Liu Bang slipped out to the latrine and fled; four years later he defeated Xiang Yu and founded the Han.

usage

Said of any invitation with a hidden hostile purpose: 摆鸿门宴 'to lay on a Hongmen banquet', 赴鸿门宴 'to walk into one'.

Stroke Order

鸿 hóng

门 mén

宴 yàn