兵荒马乱 — “A state of widespread social chaos”
兵荒马乱 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a state of widespread social chaos”. Disorder, and instability, typically caused by war or conflict. Literally, “soldiers in disorder, horses in chaos”.
兵荒马乱 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 兵bīng
- 荒huāng
- 马mǎ
- 乱luàn
兵荒马乱 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 兵荒马乱
Origin and Story of 兵荒马乱
During the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius traveled with his disciples through various states, residing in Chen state, awaiting an official appointment. After King Fuchai of Wu conquered the state of Yue, his power grew significantly. He seized the opportunity to lead his Wu soldiers, with their unbound hair and robes fastened on the left, to attack Chen state.
The ruler of Chen fled overnight. Despite the widespread chaos and turmoil outside, Confucius still planned to preside over the sacrificial ceremony, and the musicians continued to play.
His disciples had to pull him onto a carriage to escape Chen state and travel to Cai state.
Idioms Related to 兵荒马乱
Synonyms of 兵荒马乱
Antonyms of 兵荒马乱
More idioms starting with 兵
- bīng兵bù不yàn厌quán权In war, deception is acceptable
- bīng兵bù不yàn厌zhà诈Deception is permissible in war
- bīng兵bù不jiē接rèn刃win without direct confrontation
- bīng兵bù不wū污rèn刃win without striking a blow
- bīng兵bù不yóu由jiàng将soldiers disobey general's command
- bīng兵bù不xuè血rèn刃Win victory without shedding blood
- bīng兵bù不bī逼hǎo好Troops do not threaten friends
- bīng兵bù不xuě雪rèn刃win an easy victory without battle
- bīng兵lín临chéng城xià下enemy at the city gates
- bīng兵yǐ以zhà诈lì立Warfare relies on deception
- bīng兵xiōng凶zhàn战wēi危War is brutal and perilous
- bīng兵chū出wú无míng名deploy troops without just cause
Questions about 兵荒马乱
- What does 兵荒马乱 mean?
- 兵荒马乱 (bīng huāng mǎ luàn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a state of widespread social chaos”.
- How do you pronounce 兵荒马乱?
- 兵荒马乱 is pronounced bīng huāng mǎ luàn in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 兵荒马乱 literally mean?
- Literally, 兵荒马乱 means “soldiers in disorder, horses in chaos”. It is used to mean “a state of widespread social chaos”.
- Where does 兵荒马乱 come from?
- 兵荒马乱 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 兵荒马乱?
- 荒、乱：指社会秩序不安定。形容战争期间社会混乱不安的景象。