兵不厌诈

bīng bù yàn zhà

  • Meaning

    Literal

    Warfare doesn't reject cheating

    Usage

    To use deception to confuse the enemy during war. Also refers to using tricks to deceive people

  • Connotation

    Neutral

  • Usage Examples

    打仗要兵不厌诈,才能取得胜利 | Dǎzhàng yào bīngbùyànzhà, cái néng qǔdé shènglì
    In war you must resort to deception and trickery in order to achieve victory
    [Source]

    战场上讲究兵不厌诈,所以将领们会想出各种计策赢取胜利 | Zhànchǎng shàng jiǎngjiù bīngbùyànzhà, suǒyǐ jiànglǐngmen huì xiǎng chū gè zhǒng jìcè yíngqǔ shènglì
    During war, there is an emphasis on using trickery to defeat the enemy, so officers will think of countless strategies to achieve victory
    [Source]

  • Equivalents

    English

    None

    Chinese

    None

  • Entry Notes

    According to the 多功能成语词典 (duō gōngnéng chéngyǔ cídiǎn), the character 兵 (bīng) doesn't come from the word 士兵 (shìbīng, soldier). It instead means "military affairs" or "war"

  • Origin

    《韩非子》(Hán Fēi Zǐ), a book of philosophy authored by 韩非 (Hán Fēi) during the Warring States Period (475 - 220 BC)

  • Story

    Under construction

  • Citations and Helpful Resources

    • 汉语成语小词典 (hànyǔ chéngyǔ xiǎo cídiǎn)
    • 现代汉语规范词典 (xiàndài hànyǔ guīfàn cídiǎn)
    • 多功能成语词典 (duō gōngnéng chéngyǔ cídiǎn)
    • 汉语大词典 (hànyǔ dà cídiǎn)
    • ABC Chinese-English Comprehensive Dictionary
    • Pleco Basic Chinese-English Dictionary