紙上談兵
Chinese
| on paper | to discuss military tactics | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| trad. (紙上談兵) | 紙上 | 談兵 | |
| simp. (纸上谈兵) | 纸上 | 谈兵 | |
| Literally: “to discuss military tactics on paper”. | |||
Etymology
See Zhao Kuo on Wikipedia.
Pronunciation
- Mandarin
- (Pinyin): zhǐshàngtánbīng
- (Zhuyin): ㄓˇ ㄕㄤˋ ㄊㄢˊ ㄅㄧㄥ
- Cantonese (Jyutping): zi2 soeng6 taam4 bing1
- Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): chóa-siōng-tâm-peng / chóa-siāng-tâm-peng
- Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Hanyu Pinyin: zhǐshàngtánbīng
- Zhuyin: ㄓˇ ㄕㄤˋ ㄊㄢˊ ㄅㄧㄥ
- Tongyong Pinyin: jhǐhshàngtánbing
- Wade–Giles: chih3-shang4-tʻan2-ping1
- Yale: jř-shàng-tán-bīng
- Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyyshanqtarnbing
- Palladius: чжишантаньбин (čžišantanʹbin)
- Sinological IPA (key): /ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɑŋ⁵¹ tʰän³⁵ piŋ⁵⁵/
- (Standard Chinese)+
- Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Jyutping: zi2 soeng6 taam4 bing1
- Yale: jí seuhng tàahm bīng
- Cantonese Pinyin: dzi2 soeng6 taam4 bing1
- Guangdong Romanization: ji2 sêng6 tam4 bing1
- Sinological IPA (key): /t͡siː³⁵ sœːŋ²² tʰaːm²¹ pɪŋ⁵⁵/
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)+
- Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, General Taiwanese)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chóa-siōng-tâm-peng
- Tâi-lô: tsuá-siōng-tâm-ping
- Phofsit Daibuun: zoafsioxngdampefng
- IPA (Taipei): /t͡sua⁵³⁻⁴⁴ siɔŋ³³⁻¹¹ tam²⁴⁻¹¹ piɪŋ⁴⁴/
- IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sua⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ siɔŋ³³⁻²¹ tam²³⁻³³ piɪŋ⁴⁴/
- IPA (Xiamen): /t͡sua⁵³⁻⁴⁴ siɔŋ²²⁻²¹ tam²⁴⁻²² piɪŋ⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chóa-siāng-tâm-peng
- Tâi-lô: tsuá-siāng-tâm-ping
- Phofsit Daibuun: zoafsiaxngdampefng
- IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sua⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ siaŋ³³⁻²¹ tam²³⁻³³ piɪŋ⁴⁴/
- IPA (Taipei): /t͡sua⁵³⁻⁴⁴ siaŋ³³⁻¹¹ tam²⁴⁻¹¹ piɪŋ⁴⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, General Taiwanese)
Idiom
紙上談兵
- to engage in theoretical discussion that is worse than useless in practice; armchair strategist; idle theorizing