干戈 gāngē weapons of war
weapons of war; arms
How to remember 干戈: 干 do + 戈 dagger = weapons of war.
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How it is used
- Literary 'weapons of war,' hence warfare/conflict - 大动干戈 (dà dòng gāngē) to go to war / make a huge fuss over something.
- Classical, mostly alive in set phrases: 大动干戈 (mount a big to-do), 化干戈为玉帛 (turn hostility into friendship). 干 = shield, 戈 = dagger-axe.
- 干 reads gān here (not gàn). Rarely used literally today; almost always figurative for conflict or overreaction.