骄兵必败 jiāo bīng bì bài An overconfident army will surely fail

Explanation

指骄傲的军队必然会失败。形容军队骄傲轻敌必将失败。

Refers to a proud army that will inevitably fail. Describes how an army's arrogance and underestimation of its opponents will inevitably lead to defeat.

Origin Story

西汉时期，汉宣帝刘洵派郑吉率军攻打匈奴，并在车师附近屯田与驻军。匈奴举兵反击。汉宣帝召集群臣商议，丞相魏相不主张增兵，仗着国大人多就会成为骄横的军队，军队骄横必定灭亡。汉宣帝决定不再派兵攻打匈奴，避免了骄兵必败的结局。几十年后，汉朝的国力日渐强盛，匈奴也逐渐衰弱，在与匈奴的战争中，汉朝取得了辉煌的胜利，这都得益于汉宣帝的英明决策。这段历史也成为了后世“骄兵必败”的典型案例，告诫人们要居安思危，切勿骄傲轻敌。

xī hàn shíqī, hàn xuāndì liú xún pài zhèng jí shuài jūn gōng dǎ xiōng nú, bìng zài chēshī fùjìn túntán yǔ zhùjūn. xiōng nú jǔbīng fǎnjī. hàn xuāndì zhàojí qún chén shāngyì, chéngxiàng wèi xiāng bù zhǔzhāng zēngbīng, zhàngzhe guó dà rén duō jiù huì chéngwéi jiāohèng de jūnduì, jūnduì jiāohèng bìdìng mièwáng. hàn xuāndì juédìng bù zài pài bīng gōng dǎ xiōng nú, bìmiǎn le jiāobīng bì bài de jiéjú. jǐ shí nián hòu, hàn cháo de guólì rìjiàn qiángshèng, xiōng nú yě zhújiàn shuāiruò, zài yǔ xiōng nú de zhànzhēng zhōng, hàn cháo qǔdé le huīhuáng de shènglì, zhè dōu déyì yú hàn xuāndì de yīngmíng juécè. zhè duàn lìshǐ yě chéngwéi le hòushì “jiāobīng bì bài” de diǎnxíng ànlì, gàojiè rénmen yào jū'ān sīwēi, qiē wù jiāo'ào qīngdí.

During the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Xuan, Liu Xun, sent Zheng Ji with his army to fight against the Xiongnu, and stationed his troops and cultivated fields near Che Shi. The Xiongnu launched a counterattack. Emperor Xuan summoned his ministers for a consultation. The prime minister, Wei Xiang, opposed reinforcing the troops, arguing that a large population and a large country would lead to an overconfident army, and an overconfident army would inevitably perish. Emperor Xuan decided not to send more troops to fight the Xiongnu, thus avoiding the inevitable failure of an overconfident army. Decades later, the Han empire grew stronger and stronger, while the Xiongnu grew weaker. In the subsequent wars, the Han dynasty achieved glorious victories, all thanks to Emperor Xuan’s wise decision. This episode of history became a classic example of the saying “An overconfident army is doomed to fail”, warning people to always remain vigilant and never show arrogance and contempt for their enemies.

Usage

常用来形容军队骄傲轻敌，最终会失败。也用来比喻人骄傲自满必然会失败。

cháng yòng lái xíngróng jūnduì jiāo'ào qīngdí, zuìzhōng huì shībài. yě yòng lái bǐyù rén jiāo'ào zìmǎn bìrán huì shībài.

Often used to describe an army that is arrogant and underestimates its opponents, ultimately leading to its defeat. Also used to illustrate that arrogance and complacency will inevitably lead to failure.

Examples

• 这支军队骄兵必败，最终还是落败了。

  zhè zhī jūnduì jiāobīng bì bài, zuìzhōng háishì luòbài le.

  This army, arrogant and overconfident, is destined to fail.

• 历史证明，骄兵必败，恃强凌弱终将自食其果。

  lìshǐ zhèngmíng, jiāobīng bì bài, shìqiáng língruò zhōngjiāng zìshí qí guǒ.

  History proves that an overconfident army will ultimately fail, and the oppression of the weak will ultimately lead to their downfall.

Related Idioms

• 轻敌

• 自负

Opposite Idioms

• 哀兵必胜