Word Meaning 伝家の宝刀を抜く

でんかのほうとうをぬく denka no houtou o nuku

伝家の宝刀を抜く is read as でんかのほうとうをぬく (denka no houtou o nuku) and means to employ one's secret weapon.

Meaning

English

  1. to employ one's secret weapon
  2. to play one's trump card
  3. to use the ace up one's sleeve

Reading

Kana

でんかのほうとうをぬく

Romaji

denka no houtou o nuku

Stroke Sequence

8 Characters • 38 Total Strokes

Study Signals and Categories

JLPT N1 Jōyō Upper Grade Kanken 4級 Proverb Rank 114015 Priority R

Related Vocabulary

Max. 12

伝家の宝刀

でんかのほうとう

treasured family sword

伝家

でんか

heirloom

宝刀

ほうとう

treasured sword

家系伝説

かけいでんせつ

family legend

武家伝奏

ぶけでんそう

imperial official in charge of communication between the shogunate and the court (during the Muromachi and Edo periods)

天下の宝刀

てんかのほうとう

one's last resort

抜刀術

ばっとうじゅつ

art of sword drawing

抜刀

ばっとう

drawing a sword

刀圭家

とうけいか

doctor

家事手伝い

かじてつだい

domestic help

家宝

かほう

heirloom

伝統

でんとう

tradition