纸上谈兵
纸上谈兵 (zhǐ shàng tán bīng) literally means “discuss war on paper” and expresses “all theory no practice”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving wisdom and learning.
Also searched as: zhi shang tan bing, zhi shang tan bing,纸上谈兵 meaning, 纸上谈兵 in english
All theory no practice
Pronunciation: zhǐ shàng tán bīng Literal meaning: Discuss war on paper
Origin & Usage
Zhao Kuo had his father's books by heart and could out-argue him on tactics; his father said that war is a matter of life and death and the boy spoke of it far too easily. Qin's agents spread word that the only Zhao general they feared was Zhao Kuo, Zhao replaced the cautious Lian Po with him, and at Changping in 260 BCE the army was encircled and destroyed — the Records of the Grand Historian puts the dead at four hundred thousand. The idiom is much later than the events: there was no paper (纸) in the Warring States to discuss (谈) war (兵) on (上), and the phrase belongs to a much later age looking back.
Examples
English: "The consultant's theories proved useless when faced with real business challenges"
Chinese: 顾问的理论在面对实际商业挑战时证明毫无用处
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about wisdom & learning
东施效颦
dōng shī xiào pín
Failed imitation lacking understanding
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枕流漱石
zhěn liú shù shí
Live as a recluse in the wild
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纸醉金迷
zhǐ zuì jīn mí
Decadent luxury lifestyle
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纸上富贵
zhǐ shàng fù guì
Success in theory not reality
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自相矛盾
zì xiāng máo dùn
Contradict oneself
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囫囵吞枣
hú lún tūn zǎo
Accept without proper understanding
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隔靴搔痒
gé xuē sāo yǎng
Ineffective indirect solution
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盲人摸象
máng rén mō xiàng
Mistaking partial knowledge for complete wisdom
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 纸上谈兵 mean in English?
纸上谈兵 (zhǐ shàng tán bīng) literally translates to “Discuss war on paper” and is used to express “All theory no practice”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Wisdom & Learning category.
When is 纸上谈兵 used?
Situation: The consultant's theories proved useless when faced with real business challenges
What is the pinyin for 纸上谈兵?
The pinyin pronunciation for 纸上谈兵 is “zhǐ shàng tán bīng”.
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