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按兵不动 (àn bīng bù dòng) — to hold back and take no action (strategically); to bide one's time

Definition

A chengyu meaning to hold back troops and take no action — used when someone deliberately waits for a better moment, not out of passivity.

idiom
to hold back and take no action (strategically)to bide one's time

Examples

  • ，按兵不动，。
    Duì fāng yǐ jīng chū jià le, wǒ men zuì hǎo àn bīng bù dòng, kàn kàn tā men de xià yí bù.
    The other side has already made an offer; we'd better hold back and see their next move.
  • ，按兵不动。
    Zài jú shì míng lǎng zhī qián, zhǐ huī guān jué dìng àn bīng bù dòng.
    The commander decided to take no action until the situation became clear.
  • 按兵不动，。
    Tóu zī zhě men dōu zài àn bīng bù dòng, děng dài shì chǎng huí nuǎn.
    The investors are all holding back, waiting for the market to recover.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
安
安ān按àn
Same sound today

按 has 扌, the hand radical, and 安. The hand part points to an action done with the hand, while 安 supplies the sound and the idea of being at ease, linked to pressing down.

Open 按 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 斤斤jīna short axe
  • 廾廾gǒng2 hands

兵 combines 斤, a short axe, with 廾, two hands, showing a pair of hands holding a weapon.

Open 兵 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesMilitary & Defense

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