📖 Meaning
Describes a warrior wielding a spear so fiercely in combat that blood drenches their sleeves. It vividly conveys the intensity and heroism of battle, painting a picture of a warrior covered in the blood of fierce fighting. The idiom celebrates extraordinary bravery and ferocity on the battlefield.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom evokes the brutal reality of ancient Chinese warfare, where warriors wielded long spears called shuo (槊) in close-quarters combat. The vivid image of blood filling one's sleeves reflects a scene of such intense fighting that the warrior becomes drenched in the blood of the slain. While no single definitive literary source is recorded for this expression, it embodies the martial spirit celebrated in ancient Chinese military culture, where such visceral imagery honored heroic deeds in battle.
💡 Example Usage
将军在沙场上槊血满袖，终将敌军击退。
The general fought so fiercely on the battlefield that his sleeves were drenched in blood, ultimately driving the enemy forces back.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 槊血满袖
- Pinyin: shuò xuè mǎn xiù
- Literal Translation: shuo (spear), xue (blood), man (full), xiu (sleeve)
- Category: Action
- Characters: 4