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千军万马
千军万马
千军万马
千军万马
千军万马
千军万马
千军万马
千军万马

千军万马 — “A vast and powerful army”

千军万马 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a vast and powerful army”. A formidable host; an imposing array or momentum. Literally, “A thousand armies and ten thousand horses”.

Frequency

千军万马 Pronunciation and Pinyin

  • 千qiān
  • 军jūn
  • 万wàn
  • 马mǎ

千军万马 Character Breakdown

CharacterPinyinStrokesMeaning
千
qiān3thousand, many
军
jūn6military, army, corps
万
wàn3ten thousand
马
mǎ3horse, big, large

Example Sentence with 千军万马

演唱会现场,歌迷们的热情仿佛千军万马,声势浩大。
At the concert, the fans' enthusiasm was like a mighty host, creating an overwhelming momentum.

Origin and Story of 千军万马

During the Southern and Northern Dynasties period, Emperor Wu of Liang appointed General Chen Qingzhi to lead an expedition against Northern Wei.

Chen Qingzhi's army was invincible, sweeping all opposition before them until they reached the city of Xingyang. He inspired his troops, and with only 7,000 men, they defeated the 300,000-strong Wei army, advancing directly towards Luoyang.

His soldiers, dressed in white battle robes, were incredibly valiant and awe-inspiring. The Wei people, in awe, remarked: 'Even renowned generals and powerful armies cannot stand firm; a thousand armies and ten thousand horses flee from the white robes.'

This idiom later came to describe a grand and powerful force or an overwhelming momentum.

Idioms Related to 千军万马

Synonyms of 千军万马

  • wàn万mǎ马bēn奔téng腾a magnificent and powerful spectacle
  • bō波lán澜zhuàng壮kuò阔grand and magnificent; vast and powerful

Antonyms of 千军万马

  • yì一chéng成yī一lǚ旅small territory and few troops

More idioms starting with 千

  • qiān千wàn万mǎi买lín邻Good neighbors are invaluable
  • qiān千sī丝wàn万lǚ缕numerous intricate and complex connections
  • qiān千chéng乘wàn万qí骑Magnificent array of chariots and cavalry
  • qiān千shèng乘zhī之guó国A powerful feudal state
  • qiān千chéng乘zhī之wáng王A paramount sovereign or emperor
  • qiān千le了wàn万dàng当everything properly settled and arranged
  • qiān千liǎo了bǎi百liǎo了Everything is settled
  • qiān千liǎo了bǎi百dàng当Everything properly arranged and settled
  • qiān千rén人yī一miàn面all the same; lacking originality
  • qiān千rén人suǒ所zhǐ指universally condemned
  • qiān千rén人nuò诺nuò诺,,bù不rú如yī一shì士è谔è谔One honest critic is better than a thousand yes-men
  • qiān千chóu仇wàn万hèn恨countless grudges and deep hatred

Questions about 千军万马

What does 千军万马 mean?
千军万马 (qiān jūn wàn mǎ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a vast and powerful army”.
How do you pronounce 千军万马?
千军万马 is pronounced qiān jūn wàn mǎ in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 千军万马 literally mean?
Literally, 千军万马 means “a thousand armies and ten thousand horses”. It is used to mean “a vast and powerful army”.
Where does 千军万马 come from?
千军万马 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 千军万马?
形容雄壮的队伍或浩大的声势。
Copy the pinyin for 千军万马 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.

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