Definition
歃血为盟 is a chengyu (four-character idiom) describing an ancient ritual where participants smeared sacrificial blood on their mouths to seal a solemn oath of alliance. Today it's used figuratively to mean 'to swear a blood oath' or 'to make a solemn pledge of loyalty or alliance', often in historical or dramatic contexts. The literal meaning is vivid, but in modern usage it's metaphorical — you wouldn't actually smear blood.
f.e.
to swear a blood oathto make a solemn pledge of alliance
Examples
- 歃血为盟，。Tāmen shà xiě, fāshì yǒng bú bèipàn.They swore a blood oath, vowing never to betray each other.
- 歃血为盟。Gǔdài jiànglǐng cháng yǐ shà xiě lái gǒnggù tóngméng.Ancient generals often used blood oaths to strengthen alliances.
- 歃血为盟。Zhè bù xiǎoshuō miáoxiě le liǎng wèi yīngxióng shà xiě de gùshì.This novel describes the story of two heroes swearing a blood oath.
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