I’d stick knives in my ribs for you, man

This is probably our most violent chengyu ever.

But it’s also one of the most positive.

Use this chengyu for close friends that you’d do anything for, including sticking knives in your ribs. It’s 两肋插刀 (liǎng lèi chā dāo).

两肋插刀 (liǎng lèi chā dāo) literally means “stick knives into both sides of your ribs,” and it’s used to express a friendship that is so great that you’re willing to do anything for  it. Not surprisingly, it’s generally used among / for guys.

A breakdown of the characters in 两肋插刀 (liǎng lèi chā dāo):

两 (liǎng): two

肋 (lèi): ribs (eg. 肋骨 – lèi gǔ)

插 (chā): to insert (eg. 插入- chārù)

刀 (dāo): knife

Observing 两肋插刀 (liǎng lèi chā dāo) in the wild reveals two main usages.

Usage 1) As a Verb.

Example 1 A)

“。。。为兄弟两肋插刀 “

“…wéi xiōngdì liǎnglèichādāo“

“…for (my brothers), (I’d) do anything (or: stick knives in my ribs)”

Example 1 B)

“。。。为了朋友我可以两肋插刀“

“…wèi le péngyǒu wǒ kěyǐ liǎnglèichādāo“

“…for friends, I’d do anything (or: stick knives in my ribs)”

Example 1 C)

“他反对的理由不是自己不愿意为朋友两肋插刀，而是认为袁世凯不可靠 “

“tā fǎnduì de lǐyóu búshì zìjǐ bú yuànyì wéi péngyǒu liǎnglèichādāo, érshì rènwéi yuánshìkǎi bù kěkào”

“The reason why he opposed was not that he was unwilling to make sacrifices for his friends, but rather because he thought Yuan Shikai was not reliable”

Usage 2) 两肋插刀 + 的 + Noun.

Example 2 A)

“加入军团，您将拥有为您两肋插刀的兄弟...”

“jiārù jūntuán, nín jiānɡ yōngyǒu wéi nín liǎnglèichādāo de xiōngdì…”

“After joining your army unit, you’ll soon have brothers who will do anything for you…“

Example 2 B)

“王先生…为人慷慨大方，是那种可以为朋友两肋插刀的硬汉“

“wáng xiānshēng… wéirén kāngkǎi dàfāng, shì nàzhǒng kěyǐ wéi péngyǒu liǎnglèichādāo de yìnghàn”

“Mr. Wang…is generous, and is that sort of strong-willed guy who will do anything for his friends“

Next time you’re out with your Chinese buddies, try out 两肋插刀 (liǎng lèi chā dāo) and let us know their reaction.

We’d love to hear your story!