干戈

• Pinyin: gān gē
• Hanzi breakdown: 干 = pictograph of shield or weapon handle; 戈 = pictograph of ancient halberd or spear

Meaning

Weapons of war; armed conflict; military strife. A classical compound referring collectively to the implements of warfare.

Highly literary and rarely used in modern spoken Chinese. Appears in historical texts, poetry, and formal writing to evoke war and turmoil. The idiom 化干戈为玉帛 means to transform hostility into friendship — literally to turn weapons into silk and jade.

Examples

1. 历史上，无数次连绵的干戈使这片土地满目疮痍，百姓流离失所，家园尽毁。 Throughout history, endless wars have left this land devastated, with ordinary people displaced and homes destroyed.
2. 两国领导人最终选择通过外交谈判化干戈为玉帛，避免了一场兵戎相见的危机。 In the end, the leaders of the two countries chose diplomatic negotiations to turn hostility into peace, averting a crisis that could have led to armed conflict.
3. 百年来，这片土地饱经干戈之苦，和平的弥足珍贵早已铭刻于每个人的集体记忆之中。 For a century, this land has suffered the misery of war, and the preciousness of peace has long been etched into everyone’s collective memory.

Usage Guide

Context: literary, history, idioms

Tone: solemn

Do Say

• 他在演讲中呼吁双方以对话取代干戈，通过协商共同维护地区的长久稳定。(In his speech, he called on both sides to replace armed conflict with dialogue and jointly maintain long-term regional stability through negotiation.)
• 这部史诗描绘了春秋时期诸侯之间干戈不息的动荡岁月，展现了乱世中平民百姓的深重苦难。(This epic depicts the turbulent years of incessant armed conflict among the feudal lords of the Spring and Autumn period, revealing the profound suffering of ordinary people in a chaotic age.)

Don't Say

• 我和朋友发生了干戈 — 干戈 refers to large-scale warfare or serious armed conflict; use 争执 or 冲突 for personal disputes

Origin & History

干 (shield/weapon handle) + 戈 (ancient spear/halberd)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal