諺語 · a single proverb
一刀兩斷
Simplified: 一刀两断
What does 一刀兩斷 (yī dāo liǎng duàn) mean?
一刀兩斷 (yī dāo liǎng duàn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "one knife, two halves." In use it means: Make a clean break; cut decisively and completely without hesitation. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.
Literally: "one knife, two halves."
The reading
The clean cut through the difficult situation produces two clear halves and a clear ending. The jagged cut that hesitates leaves edges that catch and tear on everything that follows. Decisiveness is not harshness but precision, and the clean ending-painful as it is-gives both sides something they can work with: a boundary that is actually a boundary.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese idiom (common in conflict and decision contexts)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 一刀兩斷 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一刀兩斷 (yī dāo liǎng duàn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese idiom (common in conflict and decision contexts). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 一刀兩斷?
In Mandarin it is yī dāo liǎng duàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一刀兩斷 aloud in Mandarin.