明枪易躲，暗箭难防 in English ming2 qiang1 yi4 duo3 , an4 jian4 nan2 fang2 Meaning

Meanings

  • literally (word for word) easy to dodge the spear in the open, hard to avoid a stab in the dark (idiomatic expression); it is hard to guard against secret conspiracies

Simplified Characters

明 枪 易 躲 ， 暗 箭 难 防

Traditional Characters

明 槍 易 躲 ， 暗 箭 難 防

Pinyin

ming2 qiang1 yi4 duo3 , an4 jian4 nan2 fang2

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

明ming2Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) 枪qiang1surname Qiang 易yi4surname Yi 躲duo3to hide ， 暗an4variant of 暗[an4] 箭jian4arrow 难nan2difficult (to...) 防fang2to protect