短兵相接 duǎn bīng xiāng jiē

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. short-weaponed soldiery fight one another (idiom); fierce hand-to-hand infantry combat
  2. to fight at close quarters

CHARACTERS

短 duǎn short; brief; deficient, lacking
兵 bīng soldier, troops
相 xiāng mutual, reciprocal, each other
接 jiē receive; continue; catch; connect