📖 Meaning
This idiom describes someone who carries themselves with a bold, imposing, and majestic bearing, as if mounted on a great horse wielding a gleaming blade. It can also describe speech or manner that is blunt, sharp, and ruthless, leaving no room for politeness or face-saving.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom first appears in the Qing dynasty novel 《儿女英雄传》 (The Story of Heroic Sons and Daughters) by Wen Kang (文康). In the eighth chapter, the heroine Thirteenth Sister (十三妹) is described sitting '大马金刀' — in an imposing, warrior-like posture, as if astride a great horse with a golden saber. The phrase originally evoked the majestic bearing of a mounted warrior and came to signify a bold, unconstrained, and imposing manner.
💡 Example Usage
经理大马金刀地坐在主位上，开口说话直来直去，毫不留情面。
The manager sat squarely in the main seat with an imposing air, speaking bluntly and without sparing anyone's feelings.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 大马金刀
- Pinyin: dà mǎ jīn dāo
- Literal Translation: big horse, golden knife
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4