兵來將擋，水來土掩

兵來將擋，水來土掩

See also: 兵来将挡，水来土掩

Chinese

		soldiers; a force; an army soldiers; a force; an army; weapons; arms; military; warlike	to come	a general; (will, shall, "future tense"); ready a general; (will, shall, "future tense"); ready; prepared; to get; to use	arrange; put in order; hinder arrange; put in order; hinder; resist; obstruct; cover; keep off; a cover; to block (a blow); to get in the way of		water; river	to come	earth; dust; rural earth; dust; rural; uncouth; uncultured; plebeian	cover up; to surprise
trad. (兵來將擋，水來土掩)		兵	來	將	擋	，	水	來	土	掩
simp. (兵来将挡，水来土掩)		兵	来	将	挡	，	水	来	土	掩

Etymology

Literally: (If enemy) soldiers come, a general (should) stop them. (If flood) waters come, the earth (should) stem it.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bīng lái jiàng dǎng, shuǐ lái tǔ yǎn

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄧㄥ ㄌㄞˊ ㄐㄧㄤˋ ㄉㄤˇ, ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄌㄞˊ ㄊㄨˇ ㄧㄢˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): bing¹ loi⁴ zoeng³ dong², seoi² loi⁴ tou² jim²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: bīng lái jiàng dǎng, shuǐ lái tǔ yǎn [Phonetic: bīngláijiàngdǎng,shuǐláitúyǎn]
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄧㄥ ㄌㄞˊ ㄐㄧㄤˋ ㄉㄤˇ, ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄌㄞˊ ㄊㄨˇ ㄧㄢˇ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: bing lai jianq daang, shoei lai tuu yean
    • IPA ^(key): /piŋ⁵⁵ laɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹ tɑŋ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ laɪ̯³⁵ tʰu²¹⁴⁻³⁵ i̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: bing¹ loi⁴ zoeng³ dong², seoi² loi⁴ tou² jim²
    • Yale: bīng lòih jeung dóng, séui lòih tóu yím
    • Cantonese Pinyin: bing¹ loi⁴ dzoeng³ dong², soey² loi⁴ tou² jim²
    • Guangdong Romanization: bing¹ loi⁴ zêng³ dong², sêu² loi⁴ tou² yim²
    • IPA ^(key): /pɪŋ⁵⁵ lɔːy̯²¹ t͡ʃœ̽ːŋ³³ tɔːŋ³⁵ sɵy̯³⁵ lɔːy̯²¹ tʰou̯³⁵ jiːm³⁵/

Proverb

兵來將擋，水來土掩

1. Take such measures as the situation calls for.