諺語 · a single proverb
養兵千日，用兵一時
Simplified: 养兵千日，用兵一时
What does 養兵千日，用兵一時 (yǎng bīng qiān rì yòng bīng yī shí) mean?
養兵千日，用兵一時 (yǎng bīng qiān rì yòng bīng yī shí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "train soldiers for a thousand days to use them for one moment." In use it means: Long preparation justifies itself in the single crucial moment of need. 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: "train soldiers for a thousand days to use them for one moment."
The reading
A thousand days of practice for one hour of performance. That ratio sounds absurd until the hour arrives and the thousand days speak through your hands without being asked. Preparation is the only investment that pays compound interest at the moment of truth.
What kind of proverb it is
Source folk military proverb; common in martial arts tradition
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 養兵千日，用兵一時 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 養兵千日，用兵一時 (yǎng bīng qiān rì yòng bīng yī shí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from folk military proverb; common in martial arts tradition. 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 養兵千日，用兵一時?
In Mandarin it is yǎng bīng qiān rì yòng bīng yī shí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 養兵千日，用兵一時 aloud in Mandarin.