棒打鸳鸯

Traditional form:

棒打鴛鴦

Pinyin (reading):

bàngdǎyuānyāng

Definitions:

• (idiom) to cruelly separate lovers (esp. by family or societal pressure); to forcibly break up a couple against their will

Characters:

• 棒 - stick, club; strong, smart; to hit
• 打 - to attack, to beat, to hit, to strike
• 鸳 - male mandarin duck (Aix galericulata)
• 鸯 - female mandarin duck (Aix galericulata)

Traditional characters:

• 棒 - stick, club; strong, smart; to hit
• 打 - to attack, to beat, to hit, to strike
• 鴛 - male mandarin duck (Aix galericulata)
• 鴦 - female mandarin duck (Aix galericulata)