单刀赴会
What does 单刀赴会 mean?
To walk alone into a dangerous situation with calm courage, relying on nerve rather than numbers
形容一个人不带帮手，镇定勇敢地独自进入危险局面。
Historical origin
In the Three Kingdoms period, Lu Su invited Guan Yu to a banquet in Wu and secretly hid soldiers behind screens to pressure him about Jingzhou. Guan Yu crossed the river accompanied only by Zhou Cang, who carried his great blade, sat calmly through Lu Su's demands, and then left while holding Lu Su's arm, so the hidden soldiers did not dare to act.
How do you use 单刀赴会 in a sentence?
When everyone else was afraid to negotiate with the angry crowd, Maya walked into the tense meeting alone and unarmed — a true 单刀赴会 — and solved the problem with calm resolve.
当其他人都不敢去和愤怒的人群谈判时，小明一个人镇定走进会场，冷静解决了问题，真是单刀赴会的勇气。
Common mistake
Do not use this idiom for ordinary solo activities, like going alone to school or eating by yourself. It is only for facing a dangerous or high-pressure situation with courage.
不要把这个成语用在普通的一个人行动上，比如独自上学或自己吃饭。它只适合形容勇敢面对危险或压力很大的局面。
More examples and usage guide