纸上谈兵
Traditional form:
紙上談兵
Pinyin (reading):
zhǐshàngtánbīng
Definitions:
- 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
Characters:
- 纸 - paper
- 上 - above, on top, superior; to go up; to attend; previous
- 谈 - to talk, to chat; conversation; surname
- 兵 - soldier; troops, an army; warlike
Traditional characters: