不宣而战

Traditional form:

不宣而戰

Pinyin (reading):

bùxuān'érzhàn

Definitions:

• open hostilities without declaring war
• start an undeclared war

Characters:

• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 宣 - to proclaim, to declare, to announce; surname
• 而 - and, and then, and yet; but
• 战 - war, fighting, battle

Traditional characters:

• 不 - no, not, un-; negative prefix
• 宣 - to proclaim, to declare, to announce; surname
• 而 - and, and then, and yet; but
• 戰 - war, fighting, battle