一以当十 — “One can stand against ten”
一以当十 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be exceptionally brave and skilled in battle, capable of fighting against many enemies; one person can stand against ten”. Literally, “One can stand against ten”.
一以当十 Pronunciation and Pinyin
一以当十 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 一以当十
Origin and Story of 一以当十
At the end of the Qin Dynasty, General Zhang Han of Qin defeated General Zhang Er of Zhao. King Xie of Zhao had no choice but to seek help from King Huai of Chu, who dispatched Song Yi and Xiang Yu to rescue Zhao.
Song Yi intentionally delayed their advance, so Xiang Yu killed Song Yi and appointed himself as the supreme commander. He ordered his soldiers to break their cooking pots and sink their boats, signifying their resolve to fight to the death.
The lightly equipped Chu army, each soldier fighting fearlessly and disregarding their own safety, truly demonstrated their ability to single-handedly take on ten enemies, ultimately achieving a great victory over the Qin army.
Idioms Related to 一以当十
Synonyms of 一以当十
More idioms starting with 一
- yī一dīng丁bù不shí识completely illiterate
- yī一dīng丁diǎn点er儿a tiny bit
- yī一bù不zuò作，，èr二bù不xiū休Finish what you start
- yī一bù不zuò做，，èr二bù不xiū休in for a penny, in for a pound
- yī一bù不yā压zhòng众，，bǎi百bù不suí随yī一The minority cannot prevail against the majority
- yī一bù不niǔ扭zhòng众One person cannot defy the crowd
- yī一shì世zhī之xióng雄A hero of a generation
- yī一shì世lóng龙mén门A generation's revered influential figure
- yī一qiū丘yī一hè壑live contentedly in nature
- yī一qiū丘zhī之hé貉birds of a feather
- yī一sī丝yī一háo毫the slightest amount
- yī一sī丝bù不luàn乱perfectly orderly and neat
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Open the tool →Questions about 一以当十
What does 一以当十 mean?
一以当十 (yī yǐ dāng shí) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be exceptionally brave and skilled in battle, capable of fighting against many enemies; one person can stand against ten”.
How do you pronounce 一以当十?
一以当十 is pronounced yī yǐ dāng shí in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 一以当十 literally mean?
Literally, 一以当十 means “one can stand against ten”. It is used to mean “to be exceptionally brave and skilled in battle, capable of fighting against many enemies; one person can stand against ten”.
Where does 一以当十 come from?
一以当十 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 一以当十?
当：相当。一个人抵挡十个人。形容军队英勇善战。