纸上谈兵 (zhǐ shàng tán bīng): 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[Zhao4 Kuo4] leading an army of 400,000 to total annihilation at battle of Changping 長平之戰|长平之战[Chang2 ping2 zhi1 Zhan4] in 260 BC

Meaning & Stroke Order

HSK 7

Idiom info

Pinyin
Meaning: 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[Zhao4 Kuo4] leading an army of 400,000 to total annihilation at battle of Changping 長平之戰|长平之战[Chang2 ping2 zhi1 Zhan4] in 260 BC
Characters: 4
HSK level: HSK 7

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[Zhao4 Kuo4] leading an army of 400,000 to total annihilation at battle of Changping 長平之戰|长平之战[Chang2 ping2 zhi1 Zhan4] in 260 BC

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HSK 3

paper

HSK 1

(bound form) up

HSK 4

to speak

HSK 6

soldiers

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