按兵不动 — “To hold back troops and not take action”
按兵不动 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to hold back troops and not take action”. To bide one's time; to wait for an opportune moment before acting; (figuratively) to delay taking action or starting a project. Literally, “Hold back troops from moving”.
按兵不动 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 按àn
- 兵bīng
- 不bù
- 动dòng
按兵不动 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 按兵不动
Origin and Story of 按兵不动
The ancestor of the Zhao state's ruler was preparing to attack the state of Wei and dispatched Shi Mo to gather information there.
Shi Mo returned only after a year, which angered Zhao Jianzi, who asked, "Why did you take so long to come back?"
Shi Mo replied, "I conducted a thorough investigation of the situation in Wei, which is why it took a while. Presently, the ruler of Wei is very enlightened, and he is assisted by many virtuous talents; the state is governed exceptionally well. It is not yet the opportune moment to attack Wei, and I advise you not to act rashly."
Zhao Jianzi found Shi Mo's counsel sound, so he decided to 'keep his troops stationary' (按兵不动) and awaited a more favorable time.
This idiom originally referred to holding back one's forces temporarily and refraining from action, awaiting the right opportunity. It now also metaphorically describes delaying action after being given a task.
Idioms Related to 按兵不动
Synonyms of 按兵不动
Antonyms of 按兵不动
More idioms starting with 按
- àn按bīng兵bù不jǔ举hold back forces and take no action
- àn按bīng兵bù不fā发Hold back troops, bide time
- àn按bīng兵shù束jiǎ甲Cease hostilities and prepare for peace
- àn按láo劳fēn分pèi配distribution according to one's labor
- àn按láo劳qǔ取chóu酬paid according to work
- àn按míng名zé责shí实demand reality matches name
- àn按tú图suǒ索jùn骏rigidly adhere to old rules
- àn按tú图suǒ索jì骥follow a map to find a horse
- àn按dǔ堵rú如gù故Everything peaceful and orderly as before
- àn按qiáng强zhù助ruò弱curb the strong and assist the weak
- àn按nà捺bù不xià下unable to suppress or restrain
- àn按nà捺bu不zhù住unable to restrain oneself
Questions about 按兵不动
- What does 按兵不动 mean?
- 按兵不动 (àn bīng bù dòng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to hold back troops and not take action”.
- How do you pronounce 按兵不动?
- 按兵不动 is pronounced àn bīng bù dòng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 按兵不动 literally mean?
- Literally, 按兵不动 means “Hold back troops from moving”. It is used to mean “to hold back troops and not take action”.
- Where does 按兵不动 come from?
- 按兵不动 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 按兵不动?
- 按：止住。使军队暂不行动。现也比喻暂不开展工作。