干城之将 — “A great general or a stalwart defender”

干城之将 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a great general or a stalwart defender”. Likened to a shield and city wall protecting a cause or entity. Literally, “A general who serves as a shield and city wall”.

Frequency

干城之将 Pronunciation and Pinyin

干城之将 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
干	gān	3	to do or dry
城	chéng	9	city or fortified wall
之	zhī	4	possessive or connective particle
将	jiàng	10	about to happen, to lead

Example Sentence with 干城之将

他被视为团队的干城之将，总能在关键时刻力挽狂澜

He is considered the team's stalwart protector, always able to turn the tide at crucial moments.

Origin and Story of 干城之将

Zisi, Confucius' grandson, once recommended a man named Gou Bian to Marquis Wei to serve as a general, noting that Gou Bian was capable of commanding five hundred chariots. However, Marquis Wei hesitated, mentioning that when Gou Bian was an official, he had once taken and eaten two eggs from a commoner, implying he was not fit for such a high position.

Zisi responded by saying that a sagacious ruler employs individuals much like a skillful carpenter uses timber: one should leverage their strengths and overlook their minor flaws.

He further elaborated, "Just as a large catalpa tree, several arm-spans in thickness, should not be discarded entirely simply because of an inch of decay." This analogy highlighted that minor imperfections should not lead to the rejection of great talent, especially when it comes to defending the realm.