Usage of the character 兵

lit. rich country, strong army (idiom); slogan of legalist philosophers in pre-Han times
Make the country wealthy and the military powerful, slogan of modernizers in Qing China and Meiji Japan (Japanese pronunciation: Fukoku kyōhei)

míngjīnshōubīng

鸣金收兵

[鳴金收兵]

to beat the gong to recall troops (idiom); to order a retreat

jiāobīngbìbài

骄兵必败

[驕兵必敗]

lit. an arrogant army is bound to lose (idiom)
fig. pride goes before a fall

zhǐshàngtánbīng

纸上谈兵

[紙上談兵]

lit. military tactics on paper (idiom)
fig. theoretical discussion that is worse than useless in practice
armchair strategist
idle theorizing
cf Zhao Kuo 趙括／赵括 ( Zhào Kuò) leading an army of 400,000 to total annihilation at battle of Changping 長平之戰／长平之战 ( Chángpíngzhī Zhàn) in 260 BC

ànjiǎxiūbīng

案甲休兵

[案甲休兵]

to put down weapon and let soldiers rest (idiom); to relax from fighting

bīngjīngliángzú

兵精粮足

[兵精糧足]

elite soldiers, ample provisions (idiom); well-prepared forces
preparations for war are in an advanced state

Hǎobīng Shuàikè

好兵帅克

[好兵帥克]

The Good Soldier Švejk (Schweik), satirical novel by Czech author Jaroslav Hašek (1883-1923)

Chénqiáobīngbiàn

陈桥兵变

[陳橋兵變]

the military revolt of 960 that led Zhao Kuangyin 趙匡胤／赵匡胤 to found the Song dynasty

cǎocǎoshōubīng

草草收兵

[草草收兵]

to work vaguely then retreat (idiom); sloppy and half-hearted
half-baked

cǎoshuàishōubīng

草率收兵

[草率收兵]

to work vaguely then retreat (idiom); sloppy and half-hearted
half-baked

xiānlǐhòubīng

先礼后兵

[先禮後兵]

lit. peaceful measures before using force (idiom)
fig. diplomacy before violence; jaw-jaw is better than war-war

bīngbùyànzhà

兵不厌诈

[兵不厭詐]

there can never be too much deception in war
in war nothing is too deceitful
all's fair in war

bīngróngxiāngjiàn

兵戎相见

[兵戎相見]

to meet on the battlefield (idiom)

bīngqiángmǎzhuàng

兵强马壮

[兵強馬壯]

lit. strong soldiers and sturdy horses (idiom)
fig. a well-trained and powerful army

bīnggērǎorǎng

兵戈扰攘

[兵戈擾攘]

arms and confusion (idiom); turmoil of war

bīnghuāngmǎluàn

兵荒马乱

[兵荒馬亂]

soldiers munity and troops rebel (idiom); turmoil and chaos of war

bīngbùxuèrèn

兵不血刃

[兵不血刃]

lit. no blood on the men's swords (idiom); fig. an effortless victory

guófùbīngqiáng

国富兵强

[國富兵強]

prosperous country with military might

Sūnzǐ Bīngfǎ

孙子兵法

[孫子兵法]

“Art of War”, one of the Seven Military Classics of ancient China 武經七書／武经七书 ( Wǔjīng Qīshū), written by Sun Tzu 孫子／孙子 ( Sūnzǐ)

āibīngbìshèng

哀兵必胜

[哀兵必勝]

an army burning with righteous indignation is bound to win (idiom)

bīngguìshénsù

兵贵神速

[兵貴神速]

lit. speed is a crucial asset in war (idiom)
fig. swift and resolute (in doing sth)

tiānbīngtiānjiàng

天兵天将

[天兵天將]

celestial troops and generals (idiom)
fig. superior forces

fēnxúnbīngbèidào

分巡兵备道

[分巡兵備道]

(Qing dynasty) provincial surveillance and defense commission

Wángbīng Jìniànrì

亡兵纪念日

[亡兵紀念日]

Memorial Day (American holiday)

bīngbàirúshāndǎo

兵败如山倒

[兵敗如山倒]

troops in defeat like a landslide (idiom); a beaten army in total collapse

bēijiǔshìbīngquán

杯酒释兵权

[杯酒釋兵權]

to dismiss military hierarchy using wine cups
cf Song founding Emperor Song Taizu 宋太祖 holds a banquet in 961 and persuades his senior army commanders to go home to their provinces

Zhěngjiù Dàbīng Ruì'ēn

拯救大兵瑞恩

[拯救大兵瑞恩]

Saving Private Ryan (1998 movie)

shuānghòuqiánbīngkāijú

双后前兵开局

[雙后前兵開局]

Double Queen Pawn Opening
Closed Game (chess)
same as 封閉性開局／封闭性开局

péilefūrényòuzhébīng

赔了夫人又折兵

[賠了夫人又折兵]

lit. having given away a bride, to lose one's army on top of it (idiom)
fig. to suffer a double loss after trying to trick the enemy

qiángjiàngshǒuxiàwúruòbīng

强将手下无弱兵

[強將手下無弱兵]

there are no poor soldiers under a good general (idiom)

Xīnjiāng Shēngchǎn Jiànshè Bīngtuán

新疆生产建设兵团

[新疆生產建設兵團]

Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, also known as XPCC or Bingtuan ("the Corps"), a state-owned economic and paramilitary organization in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

yǎngbīngqiānrì,yòngzàiyīzhāo

养兵千日，用在一朝

[養兵千日，用在一朝]

lit. train an army for a thousand days to use it for one morning (idiom)
fig. extensive preparation eventually pays off

bīngláijiàngdí,shuǐláitǔyàn

兵来将敌，水来土堰

[兵來將敵，水來土堰]

counter soldiers with arms, water with an earth weir (idiom); different situations call for different action
to adopt measures appropriate to the actual situation

yǎngbīngqiānrì,yòngbīngyīshí

养兵千日，用兵一时

[養兵千日，用兵一時]

lit. Train an army for a thousand days to use it for an hour. (idiom); fig. extensive preparation eventually pays off

bīngmǎwèidòng,liángcǎoxiānxíng

兵马未动，粮草先行

[兵馬未動，糧草先行]

before the troops move, fodder and provisions go first (idiom); logistics comes before military maneuvers
an army marches on its stomach

bīngláijiàngdǎng,shuǐláitǔyǎn

兵来将挡，水来土掩

[兵來將擋，水來土掩]

counter soldiers with arms, water with an earth weir (idiom); different situations call for different action
to adopt measures appropriate to the actual situation

yǎngbīngqiānrì,yòngzàiyīshí

养兵千日，用在一时

[養兵千日，用在一時]

see 養兵千日，用兵一時／养兵千日，用兵一时 (yǎngbīngqiānrì,yòngbīngyīshí)