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谁敢横刀立马

誰敢橫刀立馬
shéi gǎn héng dāo lì mǎ
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 who dares hold the sword crosswise, astride the horse
  2. 2 (fig.) who has the guts to step up and fight - call for a fearless leader
  3. 3 (lit.) who dares level the sword and stand the horse

Examples

HSK 6
他自比彭大将军，说谁敢横刀立马。
Tā zì bǐ Péng dàjiāngjūn, shuō shéi gǎn héng dāo lì mǎ.
He compared himself to General Peng, saying 'who dares level the sword and mount the horse.'
HSK 7-9
危难时刻，谁敢横刀立马，挺身而出？
Wēinàn shíkè, shéi gǎn héng dāo lì mǎ, tǐngshēn'érchū?
In the moment of crisis - who dares take sword in hand and ride forth?

Tips

history
From 毛泽东 《六言诗·给彭德怀同志》 (1935, a six-syllable poem to Peng Dehuai during the Long March): 山高路远坑深，大军纵横驰奔。谁敢横刀立马？唯我彭大将军 (Mountains high, roads long, ravines deep; the grand army races back and forth. Who dares take sword in hand astride his horse? Only my great general Peng). A direct tribute to Peng Dehuai's battlefield courage; the last two lines became one of Mao's most quoted modern couplets.
usage
Canonically answered by 唯我彭大将军. 横刀 = 'holding the blade horizontally,' a ready-for-action stance; 立马 = 'standing the horse,' i.e. holding one's mount firmly in the saddle. Modern use often jokey: 'OK, who's going to step up?'

Stroke Order

谁 shéi
敢 gǎn
横 héng
刀 dāo
立 lì
马 mǎ