諺語 · a single proverb
兵敗如山倒
Simplified: 兵败如山倒
What does 兵敗如山倒 (bīng bài rú shān dǎo) mean?
兵敗如山倒 (bīng bài rú shān dǎo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "a military defeat is like a mountain collapsing." In use it means: When failure comes, it comes all at once, sudden and total, like a landslide. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.
Literally: "a military defeat is like a mountain collapsing."
The reading
The army was standing. Then it was not. Collapse does not taper. It avalanches. What took years to build can disintegrate in hours when the critical support gives way. This is why maintenance of the foundation matters more than decoration of the summit. The mountain falls from the base.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Military proverb; common in Chinese historical narrative
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 Adversity & Resilience, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 兵敗如山倒 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 兵敗如山倒 (bīng bài rú shān dǎo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Military proverb; common in Chinese historical narrative. 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 兵敗如山倒?
In Mandarin it is bīng bài rú shān dǎo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 兵敗如山倒 aloud in Mandarin.