三军 三軍 sān jūn (in former times) upper, middle and lower army / army of right, center and left / (in modern times) the three armed services: Army, Navy and Air Force syn 舍生取义 捨生取義 shě shēng qǔ yì to give up life for righteousness (idiom, from Mencius) / to choose honor over life / would rather sacrifice one's life than one's principles syn 生平 shēng píng life (a person's whole life) / in one's entire life syn 调兵遣将 調兵遣將 diào bīng qiǎn jiàng to move an army and send a general (idiom) / to deploy an army / to send a team on a task syn 红军 紅軍 hóng jūn Red Army (1928-1937), predecessor of the PLA / (Soviet) Red Army (1917-1946) syn 集团军 集團軍 jí tuán jūn army grouping / collective army 正规军 正規軍 zhèng guī jūn regular army / standing army 关东军 關東軍 guān dōng jūn Japanese Kwantung army (or Kantō army), notorious for numerous atrocities in China during WWII 绿营 綠營 lǜ yíng Green Standard Army, standing infantry during Qing dynasty, originally formed from Ming and other Chinese army units 元军 元軍 yuán jūn Mongol army / army of Yuan dynasty 项英 項英 xiàng yīng Xiang Ying (1898-1941), communist general involved in forming the New Fourth Army 新四軍|新四军[Xin1 si4 jun1], killed in 1941 during the New Fourth Army incident 皖南事變|皖南事变[Wan3 nan2 Shi4 bian4] 常胜军 常勝軍 cháng shèng jūn Ever Victorious Army (1860-1864), Qing dynasty army equipped and trained jointly with Europeans and used esp. against the Taiping rebels 兵痞 bīng pǐ army riffraff / army ruffian / soldier of fortune syn 北洋军 北洋軍 běi yáng jūn north China army, a modernizing Western-style army set up during late Qing, and a breeding ground for the Northern Warlords after the Qinghai revolution 复活的军团 復活的軍團 fù huó de jūn tuán the Resurrected Army (CCTV documentary series about the Terracotta army) 绿旗兵 綠旗兵 lǜ qí bīng same as 綠營|绿营[lu:4 ying2], Green standard army, standing infantry during Qing dynasty, originally formed from Ming and other Chinese army units 绿营兵 綠營兵 lǜ yíng bīng Green standard army, standing infantry during Qing dynasty, originally formed from Ming and other Chinese army units 长平之战 長平之戰 cháng píng zhī zhàn Battle of Changping of 260 BC, at which the Qin army 秦軍|秦军[Qin2 jun1] encircled and annihilated a Zhao army of 400,000 南斯拉夫国防军 南斯拉夫國防軍 National Yugoslav Army / Yugoslav People's Army 野战集团军 野戰集團軍 field army / army 大兵 dà bīng soldier / large army / powerful army / (old) large-scale war syn 死去活来 死去活來 sǐ qù huó lái to hover between life and death (idiom) / to suffer terribly / within an inch of one's life syn 贪生怕死 貪生怕死 tān shēng pà sǐ greedy for life, afraid of death (idiom) / craven and cowardly / clinging abjectly to life / only interested in saving one's neck syn 枕石漱流 zhěn shí shù liú to live a hermit's life (in seclusion) / a frugal life (idiom) 死中求生 sǐ zhōng qiú shēng to seek life in death (idiom) / to fight for one's life 起居作息 qǐ jū zuò xī lit. rising and lying down, working and resting (idiom) / fig. everyday life / daily routine / to go about one's daily life 威尊命贱 威尊命賤 wēi zūn - mìng jiàn (idiom) the dignity of authority is above life / one must be willing to sacrifice one's life rather than disobey a military order 一生 yī shēng all one's life / throughout one's life syn 生涯 shēng yá career / life (way in which sb lives) / period of one's life syn 寿命 壽命 shòu mìng life span / life expectancy / lifetime (of a machine) syn 死活 sǐ huó life or death / fate / no matter what / anyway / for the life of me syn 永生 yǒng shēng to live forever / eternal life / all one's life 享乐 享樂 xiǎng lè to enjoy life / pleasures of life syn 起居 qǐ jū everyday life / regular pattern of life syn 活命 huó mìng life / to survive / to save a life / to scrape a living syn 救生 jiù shēng to save a life / life-saving syn 过得去 過得去 guò dé qù lit. can pass through (an opening) / fig. can get by (in life) / tolerably well / not too bad / How are you getting by? / How's life? syn 延年益寿 延年益壽 yán nián yì shòu to make life longer / to promise longevity / (this product will) extend your life syn 白活 bái huó to waste one's life / to fail to make the most of one's life 救生圈 jiù shēng quān life buoy / life belt / (jocular) flab / spare tire 救生衣 jiù shēng yī life jacket / life vest 闲居 閑居 xián jū to lead a quiet and peaceful life in retirement / to stay home with nothing to do / to lead a solitary life syn 生命在于运动 生命在於運動 shēng mìng zài yú yùn dòng life is motion (popular saying with many possible interpretations) / Physical effort is vital for our bodies to function (Aristotle). / Life derives from physical exercise. 寿 壽 shòu long life / old age / age / life / birthday / funerary syn 生命的遗迹 生命的遺跡 shēng mìng de yí jì trace of life / vestige of life 年寿 年壽 nián shòu length of life / life span 浮生六记 浮生六記 fú shēng liù jì Six Records of a Floating Life, autobiographical novel and description of Qing dynasty life by 沈復|沈复[Shen3 Fu4], published 1808 无量寿 無量壽 wú liàng shòu boundless life (expression of good wishes) / Amitayus, the Buddha of measureless life, good fortune and wisdom 寿命周期分析 life cycle assessment / life cycle analysis 生命肢体急救手术 life- and limb-saving surgical intervention / life- and limb-saving procedure 生命网倡议 生命網倡議 shēng mìng wǎng chàng yì Life Web Initiative / Life Web 有效寿命 有效壽命 useful life component / useful life 命途坎坷 mìng tú kǎn kě to have a tough life / to meet much adversity in one's life 寿考 壽考 shòu kǎo long life / life span 夭寿 夭壽 yāo shòu to die young / (Tw) (curse word) drop dead / go to hell / (literary) short life and long life 雪泥鸿爪 雪泥鴻爪 xuě ní hóng zhǎo a goose's footprint in the snow / vestiges of the past (idiom) / the fleeting nature of human life (idiom) 全军覆没 全軍覆沒 quán jūn fù mò total defeat of an army (idiom) / fig. a complete wipeout syn 千军万马 千軍萬馬 qiān jūn wàn mǎ magnificent army with thousands of men and horses (idiom) / impressive display of manpower / all the King's horses and all the King's men syn 纸上谈兵 紙上談兵 zhǐ shàng tán bīng lit. military tactics on paper (idiom) / fig. theoretical discussion that is worse than useless in practice / armchair strategist / idle theorizing / cf Zhao Kuo 趙括|赵括[Zhao4 Kuo4] leading an army of 400,000 to total annihilation at battle of Changping 長平之戰|长平之战[Chang2 ping2 zhi1 Zhan4] in 260 BC syn 招兵买马 招兵買馬 zhāo bīng mǎi mǎ lit. to recruit soldiers and buy horses (idiom) / fig. to raise an army / to recruit new staff syn 兵强马壮 兵強馬壯 bīng qiáng mǎ zhuàng lit. strong soldiers and sturdy horses (idiom) / fig. a well-trained and powerful army syn 残兵败将 殘兵敗將 cán bīng bài jiàng ruined army, defeated general (idiom) / scattered remnants syn 哀兵必胜 哀兵必勝 āi bīng bì shèng an army burning with righteous indignation is bound to win (idiom) syn 富国强兵 富國強兵 fù guó qiáng bīng lit. rich country, strong army (idiom) / slogan of legalist philosophers in pre-Han times / Make the country wealthy and the military powerful, slogan of modernizers in Qing China and Meiji Japan (Japanese pronunciation: Fukoku kyōhei) syn 兵败如山倒 兵敗如山倒 bīng bài rú shān dǎo troops in defeat like a landslide (idiom) / a beaten army in total collapse 投鞭断流 投鞭斷流 tóu biān duàn liú arms enough to stem the stream (idiom) / formidable army syn 虾兵蟹将 蝦兵蟹將 xiā bīng xiè jiàng shrimp soldiers and crab generals (in mythology or popular fiction, the army of the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea) / useless troops (idiom) syn 骄兵必败 驕兵必敗 jiāo bīng bì bài lit. an arrogant army is bound to lose (idiom) / fig. pride goes before a fall 赔了夫人又折兵 賠了夫人又折兵 péi le fū rén yòu zhé bīng lit. having given away a bride, to lose one's army on top of it (idiom) / fig. to suffer a double loss after trying to trick the enemy 孤军奋战 孤軍奮戰 gū jūn fèn zhàn lit. lone army putting up a brave fight (idiom) / fig. (of a person or group of people) struggling hard without support syn 全党全军 全黨全軍 quán dǎng quán jūn the (communist) party and the army together (idiom) 兵马未动，粮草先行 兵馬未動，糧草先行 bīng mǎ wèi dòng , liáng cǎo xiān xíng before the troops move, fodder and provisions go first (idiom) / logistics comes before military maneuvers / an army marches on its stomach 千军易得，一将难求 千軍易得，一將難求 qiān jūn yì dé , yī jiàng nán qiú Easy to raise an army of one thousand, but hard to find a good general. (idiom) 败不成军 敗不成軍 bài bù chéng jūn The army is completely routed. (idiom) 钳马衔枚 鉗馬銜枚 qián mǎ xián méi with horses and soldiers gagged (idiom) / (of a marching army) in utter silence 养兵千日，用兵一时 養兵千日，用兵一時 yǎng bīng qiān rì , yòng bīng yī shí lit. Train an army for a thousand days to use it for an hour. (idiom) / fig. extensive preparation eventually pays off 养兵千日，用在一朝 養兵千日，用在一朝 yǎng bīng qiān rì , yòng zài yī cháo lit. Train an army for a thousand days to use it for one morning. (idiom) / fig. extensive preparation eventually pays off 养兵千日，用在一朝 養兵千日，用在一朝 yǎng bīng qiān rì , yòng zài yī zhāo lit. train an army for a thousand days to use it for one morning (idiom) / fig. extensive preparation eventually pays off 一生一世 yī shēng yī shì a whole lifetime (idiom) / all my life syn 栩栩如生 xǔ xǔ rú shēng vivid and lifelike (idiom) / true to life / realistic syn 吃喝玩乐 吃喝玩樂 chī hē wán lè to eat, drink and be merry (idiom) / to abandon oneself to a life of pleasure syn 相依为命 相依為命 xiāng yī wéi mìng mutually dependent for life (idiom) / to rely upon one another for survival / interdependent syn 粉身碎骨 fěn shēn suì gǔ lit. torn body and crushed bones (idiom) / fig. to die horribly / to sacrifice one's life syn 千钧一发 千鈞一髮 qiān jūn yī fà a thousand pounds hangs by a thread (idiom) / imminent peril / a matter of life or death syn 出生入死 chū shēng rù sǐ from the cradle to the grave (idiom) / to go through fire and water / brave / willing to risk life and limb syn 神采奕奕 shén cǎi yì yì in glowing spirits (idiom) / bursting with life / radiating health and vigor syn 活灵活现 活靈活現 huó líng huó xiàn living spirit, living image (idiom) / true to life / vivid and realistic syn 画龙点睛 畫龍點睛 huà lóng diǎn jīng to paint a dragon and dot in the eyes (idiom) / fig. to add the vital finishing touch / the crucial point that brings the subject to life / a few words to clinch the point syn 曾经沧海 曾經滄海 céng jīng cāng hǎi lit. having crossed the vast ocean (idiom) / fig. widely experienced in the vicissitudes of life syn 纸醉金迷 紙醉金迷 zhǐ zuì jīn mí lit. dazzling with paper and gold (idiom) / fig. indulging in a life of luxury syn 同甘共苦 tóng gān gòng kǔ shared delights and common hardships (idiom) / to share life's joys and sorrows / for better or for worse syn 九死一生 jiǔ sǐ yī shēng nine deaths and still alive (idiom) / a narrow escape / new lease of life syn 望子成龙 望子成龍 wàng zǐ chéng lóng lit. to hope one's son becomes a dragon (idiom) / fig. to long for one' s child to succeed in life / to have great hopes for one's offspring / to give one's child the best education as a career investment syn 误入歧途 誤入歧途 wù rù qí tú to take a wrong step in life (idiom) / to go astray syn 花天酒地 huā tiān jiǔ dì to spend one's time in drinking and pleasure (idiom) / to indulge in sensual pleasures / life of debauchery syn 绘声绘色 繪聲繪色 huì shēng huì sè vivid and colorful (idiom) / true to life / lively and realistic syn 安身立命 ān shēn lì mìng (idiom) to settle down and pursue one's path in life syn 寒窗 hán chuāng a life of strenuous studies (idiom) 千锤百炼 千錘百鍊 qiān chuí bǎi liàn after hard work and numerous revisions (idiom) / the vicissitudes of life syn 