諺語 · a single proverb
百戰百勝
Simplified: 百战百胜
What does 百戰百勝 (bǎi zhàn bǎi shèng) mean?
百戰百勝 (bǎi zhàn bǎi shèng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "a hundred battles, a hundred victories." In use it means: Winning every fight. An unbroken record. But Sun Tzu said this is not the highest skill: the highest is winning without fighting. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.
Literally: "a hundred battles, a hundred victories."
The reading
The general who wins every battle is impressive. The general who wins without fighting is wise. One hundred victories means one hundred fights, and every fight costs something. The record looks perfect. The army is exhausted. Sometimes the real count is not wins but wounds.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Sun Tzu 孫子, The Art of War 孫子兵法 (chapter 3)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 百戰百勝 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 百戰百勝 (bǎi zhàn bǎi shèng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Sun Tzu 孫子, The Art of War 孫子兵法 (chapter 3). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 百戰百勝?
In Mandarin it is bǎi zhàn bǎi shèng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 百戰百勝 aloud in Mandarin.