Definition
出马 (chū mǎ) means 'to personally step in' or 'to take the lead in handling something'. It originally referred to a general riding out to battle on a horse, and now is used figuratively for an authority or capable person taking direct action. It can also be used for a doctor making a house call. As a separable verb (离合词), the two syllables can split — e.g. 出了马 ('took personal action') — but it's more often used as a fixed phrase.
v.o.
to step forward personally (to take charge, solve a problem, etc.)to take the leadto go into action(of a doctor) to make a house call
Examples
- ，出马。Zhè jiàn shì tài jíshǒu le, bìxū nǐ qīnzì chū mǎ cái xíng.This matter is too tricky; you must personally step in to handle it.
- ，。Lǎo zhuānjiā yǐjīng hěn jiǔ bù chūzhěn le, dàn zhè cì háishì qīnzì chū le mǎ.The old expert hasn't made house calls in a long time, but this time he personally went.
- ，出马。Yùdào zhè zhǒng tūfā zhuàngkuàng, jīnglǐ zhíjiē chū mǎ jiějué le wèntí.When this emergency came up, the manager directly stepped in and solved the problem.
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