秣马厉兵 — “To feed horses and sharpen weapons”
秣马厉兵 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to feed horses and sharpen weapons”. To make active and thorough preparations for a task, challenge, or battle. Literally, “feed the horses and sharpen the weapons”.
秣马厉兵 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 秣mò
- 马mǎ
- 厉lì
- 兵bīng
秣马厉兵 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 秣马厉兵
Origin and Story of 秣马厉兵
During the Spring and Autumn period, the states of Qin and Jin jointly besieged the state of Zheng. Zheng dispatched its minister, Zhizi Wu, to forge an alliance with Qin separately.
As per the agreement, Qin sent generals Qizi, Fengsun, and Yangsun to garrison in Zheng, and Qin's main army then withdrew.
However, Qizi secretly sent a messenger back to Qin to request Duke Mu of Qin to launch an attack. The Qin army then launched a large-scale offensive.
A Zheng merchant named Xian Gao, disguised as an envoy, warned the Qin forces, causing them to abandon their attack on Zheng and instead target the smaller state of Hua.
Idioms Related to 秣马厉兵
Synonyms of 秣马厉兵
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Questions about 秣马厉兵
- What does 秣马厉兵 mean?
- 秣马厉兵 (mò mǎ lì bīng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to feed horses and sharpen weapons”.
- How do you pronounce 秣马厉兵?
- 秣马厉兵 is pronounced mò mǎ lì bīng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 秣马厉兵 literally mean?
- Literally, 秣马厉兵 means “feed the horses and sharpen the weapons”. It is used to mean “to feed horses and sharpen weapons”.
- Where does 秣马厉兵 come from?
- 秣马厉兵 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 秣马厉兵?
- 磨好兵器，喂好马。形容准备战斗。