Translation guide
A sword that has been pulled from its sheath, ready for use. In Japanese, this is most commonly expressed with the noun 抜き身 (nukimi) or the verb phrase 抜いた刀 (nuita katana). The concept appears in set phrases and idiomatic expressions.
Describing a sword that is out of its sheath, ready for combat or display.
A noun meaning a drawn sword or an unsheathed blade. Commonly used in both literal and figurative contexts.
Expressions that use the image of a drawn sword to convey readiness, tension, or irreversible action.
He held a drawn sword in his hand.
A phrase using the past tense of 抜く (to draw). Literally 'a sword that has been drawn'. More descriptive than 抜き身.
He returned the drawn sword to its scabbard.
A more dramatic or literary phrase meaning 'a sword drawn and brandished'. Used in historical or fictional contexts.
The drawn sword gleamed in the moonlight.
His gaze was like a drawn sword.
A proverb meaning 'a drawn sword must see blood before it can be sheathed', implying that once a conflict has started, it must be carried through to the end.
He said that a drawn sword must see blood before it can be sheathed.