人强马壮 rén qiáng mǎ zhuàng Strong and well-equipped

Explanation

形容军队实力雄厚，战斗力强。也用来比喻机构或团体实力强大。

Describes an army with great strength and fighting power. Can also be used to describe a strong organization or group.

Origin Story

话说三国时期，蜀国丞相诸葛亮北伐中原，屡次与魏国大军交战。诸葛亮深知魏国兵强马壮，难以正面硬撼，便多次运用计谋，出奇制胜。有一次，魏国大将司马懿率领大军压境，诸葛亮兵力不足，却巧妙运用空城计，吓退了司马懿，保全了蜀军。虽然蜀军人少，但凭借诸葛亮的智慧和策略，屡屡化险为夷，最终在与魏军的几次交锋中，都取得了胜利，展现了蜀军以少胜多的英勇，也体现了即使在敌强我弱的情况下，只要策略得当，也能取得胜利。而魏军虽然人强马壮，却因为轻敌冒进，最终屡战屡败。

huì shuō sān guó shí qī, shǔ guó chéng xiàng zhū gě liàng běi fá zhōng yuán, lǚ cì yǔ wèi guó dà jūn jiāo zhàn. zhū gě liàng shēn zhī wèi guó bīng qiáng mǎ zhuàng, nán yǐ zhèng miàn yìng hàn, biàn duō cì yòng yùn jì móu, chū qí zhì shèng. yǒu yī cì, wèi guó dà jiàng sī mǎ yì shuài lǐng dà jūn yā jìng, zhū gě liàng bīng lì bù zú, què qiǎo miào yòng yùn kōng chéng jì, xià tuì le sī mǎ yì, bǎo quán le shǔ jūn. suī rán shǔ jūn rén shǎo, dàn píng jiè zhū gě liàng de zhì huì hé cè lüè, lǚ lǚ huà xiǎn wéi yí, zuì zhōng zài yǔ wèi jūn de jǐ cì jiāo fēng zhōng, dōu qǔ dé le shèng lì, zhǎn xiàn le shǔ jūn yǐ shǎo shèng duō de yīng yǒng, yě tǐ xiàn le jí shǐ zài dí qiáng wǒ ruò de qíng kuàng xià, zhǐ yào cè lüè dé dāng, yě néng qǔ dé shèng lì. ér wèi jūn suī rán rén qiáng mǎ zhuàng, què yīn wèi qīng dí mào jìn, zuì zhōng lǚ zhàn lǚ bài.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang, the prime minister of Shu, repeatedly clashed with the Wei army in his northern expeditions. Zhuge Liang was well aware of the Wei army's strength and avoided head-on confrontations, often employing strategies and tactics to achieve victory. Once, when Wei general Sima Yi led a large army to attack, Zhuge Liang's forces were outnumbered. However, he cleverly used the empty city strategy, frightening Sima Yi into retreat and saving the Shu army. Though outnumbered, the Shu army, under Zhuge Liang's brilliant strategies, repeatedly escaped danger and ultimately won several battles, demonstrating the Shu army’s prowess in winning battles while outnumbered, and highlighting the importance of strategy even when facing a superior force. While the Wei army possessed sheer strength in numbers, their overconfidence and rash attacks resulted in repeated defeats.

Usage

多用于形容军事力量，也可用于形容机构或团体的实力。

duō yòng yú xíngróng jūnshì lìliàng, kě yǐ yòng yú xíngróng jīgòu huò tuántǐ de shí lì.

Mostly used to describe military strength, but can also be used to describe the strength of organizations or groups.

Examples

• 我军人强马壮，势不可挡。

  wǒ jūn rén qiáng mǎ zhuàng, shì bù kě dǎng.

  Our army is strong and well-equipped, unstoppable.

• 经过几年的发展，公司已经人强马壮了。

  jīngguò jǐ nián de fāzhǎn, gōngsī yǐjīng rén qiáng mǎ zhuàng le。

  After several years of development, the company has become strong and well-positioned.

Related Idioms

• 兵强马壮

• 人多势众

Opposite Idioms

• 残兵败将

• 人穷马乏