按兵不動

See also: 按兵不动

Chinese

		to stand down one's army	not; no	to move; to change; to use to move; to change; to use; to act
trad. (按兵不動)		按兵	不	動
simp. (按兵不动)		按兵	不	动

Etymology

From Lüshi Chunqiu:

趙簡子將襲衛，使史默往睹之，期以一月，六月而後反。趙簡子曰：“何其久也？”史默曰： […] 趙簡子按兵而不動。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

赵简子将袭卫，使史默往睹之，期以一月，六月而后反。赵简子曰：“何其久也？”史默曰： […] 赵简子按兵而不动。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Lü Buwei, Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals, 239 BCE

Zhàojiǎnzǐ jiāng xí Wèi, shǐ Shǐ Mò wǎng dǔ zhī, qī yǐ yīyuè, liùyuè érhòu fǎn. Zhàojiǎnzǐ yuē: “Héqí jiǔ yě?” Shǐ Mò yuē: […] zhàojiǎnzǐ ànbīng ér bù dòng. [Pinyin]

Zhao Jianzi planned to attack the state of Wey and dispatched Shi Mo there to investigate the conditions. Shi Mo was due to report to him within one month, however, he did not return until six months later. When being questioned about this, Shi Mo replied, [...] Zhao Jianzi then abandoned his military plans for the time being.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): ànbīng-bùdòng

(Zhuyin): ㄢˋ ㄅㄧㄥㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄨㄥˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): on³ bing¹ bat¹ dung⁶
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): àn-peng-put-tōng

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: ànbīng-bùdòng [Phonetic: ànbīng-búdòng]
  - Zhuyin: ㄢˋ ㄅㄧㄥㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄨㄥˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: ànbingbùdòng
  - Wade–Giles: an⁴-ping¹-pu⁴-tung⁴
  - Yale: àn-bīng-bù-dùng
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: annbingbudonq
  - Palladius: аньбинбудун (anʹbinbudun)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ˀän⁵¹ piŋ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ tʊŋ⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: on³ bing¹ bat¹ dung⁶
  - Yale: on bīng bāt duhng
  - Cantonese Pinyin: on³ bing¹ bat⁷ dung⁶
  - Guangdong Romanization: on³ bing¹ bed¹ dung⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɔːn³³ pɪŋ⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ tʊŋ²²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: àn-peng-put-tōng
  - Tâi-lô: àn-ping-put-tōng
  - Phofsit Daibuun: arnpengputdong
  - IPA (Xiamen): /an²¹⁻⁵³ piɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² put̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ²²/
  - IPA (Quanzhou): /an⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ piɪŋ³³ put̚⁵⁻²⁴ tɔŋ⁴¹/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /an²¹⁻⁵³ piɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² put̚³²⁻⁵ tɔŋ²²/
  - IPA (Taipei): /an¹¹⁻⁵³ piɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ³³/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /an²¹⁻⁴¹ piɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ³³/

Idiom

按兵不動

to temporarily stand down one's army (to wait and see how things develop)