图穷匕见

Traditional form:

圖窮匕見

Pinyin (reading):

túqióngbǐxiàn

Definitions:

• lit. the assassin's dagger, concealed in a map scroll, is suddenly revealed when the map is unrolled (referring to the attempted assassination of Ying Zheng 嬴政 ( Yíng Zhèng) by Jing Ke 荊軻／荆轲 ( Jīng Kē) in 227 BC) (idiom)
• fig. malicious intent suddenly becomes apparent

Characters:

• 图 - diagram, chart, map, picture; to plan
• 穷 - poor, destitute; to exhaust
• 匕 - spoon, ladle; knife, dirk
• 见 - to see, to observe, to meet, to appear

Traditional characters:

• 圖 - diagram, chart, map, picture; to plan
• 窮 - poor, destitute; to exhaust
• 匕 - spoon, ladle; knife, dirk
• 見 - to see, to observe, to meet, to appear