杂牌军 雜牌軍 zá pái jūn miscellaneous troops / irregular troops / troops of varied allegiances / uncertified staff 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 征驾 征駕 zhēng jià horses and wagons for an expedition / vehicles and horses used in battle 人马 人馬 rén mǎ men and horses / troops / group of people / troop / staff / centaur syn 铁菱 鐵菱 tiě líng (military) caltrop (spiky metal device laid on the ground to create a hazard for enemy horses or troops in ancient times) 溃兵 潰兵 kuì bīng routed troops / defeated and dispersed troops 箪食壶浆 簞食壺漿 dān shí hú jiāng to receive troops with food and drink (idiom) / to give troops a hearty welcome / also pr. [dan1 si4 hu2 jiang1] 收兵 shōu bīng to retreat / to withdraw troops / to recall troops / fig. to finish work / to wind up / to call it a day / used with negatives: the task is far from over syn 陈兵 陳兵 chén bīng to deploy troops / to mass troops 师 師 shī teacher / master / expert / model / army division / (old) troops / to dispatch troops syn 联合国部队每日津贴 聯合國部隊每日津貼 United Nations daily allowance for troops / daily allowance to troops 部队每日津贴 部隊每日津貼 United Nations daily allowance for troops / daily allowance to troops 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 兵马俑 兵馬俑 bīng mǎ yǒng figurines of warriors and horses buried with the dead / Terracotta Army (historic site) syn 车马 車馬 chē mǎ vehicles and horses syn 口齿 口齒 kǒu chǐ mouth and teeth / enunciation / to articulate / diction / age (of cattle, horses etc) syn 分道扬镳 分道揚鑣 fēn dào yáng biāo lit. to take different roads and urge the horses on (idiom) / fig. to part ways syn 牛马 牛馬 niú mǎ oxen and horses / beasts of burden / (fig.) drudge / laborer 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 人困马乏 人困馬乏 rén kùn mǎ fá riders tired and horses weary (idiom) / worn out / exhausted / spent / fatigued syn 三马同槽 三馬同槽 sān mǎ tóng cáo three horses at the same trough (idiom, alluding to Sima Yi 司馬懿|司马懿[Si1 ma3 Yi4] and his two sons) / conspirators under the same roof 宝马香车 寶馬香車 bǎo mǎ xiāng chē precious horses and magnificent carriage (idiom) / rich family with extravagant lifestyle / ostentatious display of luxury 肥马轻裘 肥馬輕裘 féi mǎ qīng qiú lit. stout horses and light furs / fig. to live in luxury 轻裘肥马 輕裘肥馬 qīng qiú féi mǎ lit. light furs and stout horses / fig. to live in luxury syn 香车宝马 香車寶馬 xiāng chē bǎo mǎ magnificent carriage and precious horses (idiom) / rich family with extravagant lifestyle / ostentatious display of luxury 香轮宝骑 香輪寶騎 xiāng lún bǎo qí magnificent carriage and precious horses (idiom) / rich family with extravagant lifestyle / ostentatious display of luxury 牧圉 mù yǔ horse breeder / pasture for cattle and horses 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 人喊马嘶 人喊馬嘶 rén hǎn mǎ sī lit. people shouting and horses neighing (idiom) / fig. tumultuous / hubbub 田忌赛马 田忌賽馬 tián jì sài mǎ Tian Ji races his horses (and accepts one loss in order to ensure two wins) (idiom) 官兵 guān bīng (military) officers and soldiers / officers and men / (old) government troops syn 兵荒马乱 兵荒馬亂 bīng huāng mǎ luàn soldiers munity and troops rebel (idiom) / turmoil and chaos of war syn 兜抄 dōu chāo to close in from the rear and flanks / to surround and attack / to mop up (remnant enemy troops) syn 天津会议专条 天津會議專條 tiān jīn huì yì zhuān tiáo Tianjin agreement of 1885 between Li Hongzhang 李鴻章|李鸿章[Li3 Hong2 zhang1] and ITŌ Hirobumi 伊藤博文[Yi1 teng2 Bo2 wen2] to pull Qing and Japanese troops out of Korea 驿站 驛站 yì zhàn relay station for post horses (old) 铁骑 鐵騎 tiě qí armored horses / crack horsemen syn 马队 馬隊 mǎ duì cavalry / caravan of horses carrying goods 走马灯 走馬燈 zǒu mǎ dēng lantern with a carousel of paper horses rotating under convection, used at Lantern Festival 元宵節|元宵节[Yuan2 xiao1 jie2] / (fig.) revolving door / musical chairs (metaphor for people being shuffled around into different jobs) 马帮 馬幫 mǎ bāng caravan of horses carrying goods 万马奔腾 萬馬奔騰 wàn mǎ bēn téng lit. (like) ten thousand horses galloping (idiom) / fig. going full steam ahead syn 牧马人 牧馬人 mù mǎ rén herdsman (of horses) / wrangler 马店 馬店 mǎ diàn inn that also provides facilities for visitors' horses 万马齐喑 萬馬齊喑 wàn mǎ qí yīn thousands of horses, all mute (idiom) / no-one dares to speak out / an atmosphere of political oppression syn 骑 騎 qí to sit astride / to ride (a horse, bike etc) / classifier for saddle horses syn 哒 噠 dā (phonetic) / command to a horse / clatter (of horses' hoofs) syn 骈 駢 pián (of a pair of horses) to pull side by side / to be side by side / to be fused together / parallel (literary style) syn 枥 櫪 lì type of oak / stable (for horses) 驷 駟 sì team of 4 horses 骖 驂 cān outside horses of a team of 4 軏 yuè crossbar for yoking horses 一个萝卜一个坑 一個蘿蔔一個坑 yī gè luó bo yī gè kēng lit. every turnip to its hole (idiom) / fig. each person has his own position / each to his own / horses for courses / every kettle has its lid 乘坚策肥 乘堅策肥 chéng jiān cè féi to live in luxury / lit. to ride a solid carriage pulled by fat horses 驫 biāo a horde of horses 騑 fēi side horse (in a team of harnessed horses) / horse 駾 tuì approach at swift gallop (on horses) 一言既出，驷马难追 一言既出，駟馬難追 yī yán jì chū , sì mǎ nán zhuī lit. once said, a team of horses cannot unsay it (idiom) / a promise must be kept 奇蹄类 奇蹄類 jī tí lèi Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates, such as horses, zebras etc) 尥蹶子 liào juě zi (of mules, horses etc) to kick backward / to kick with the hind legs / fig. to flare up in anger / to display defiance syn 栃 lì archaic variant of 櫪|枥, oak / type of tree in ancient books / stable (for horses) 边声 邊聲 biān shēng outlandish sounds (wind blowing on frontier, wild horses neighing etc) 马群 馬群 mǎ qún herd of horses 骉 驫 biāo a horde of horses 千里马常有，而伯乐不常有 千里馬常有，而伯樂不常有 qiān lǐ mǎ cháng yǒu , ér bó lè bù cháng yǒu lit. there are many swift horses, but very few who can spot them (idiom) / fig. many have talent, but few can recognize talent when they see it 𬸚 鸑 yuè used in 鸑鷟|𬸚𬸦[yue4 zhuo2] / crossbar for yoking horses 跑马灯 跑馬燈 pǎo mǎ dēng lantern with a carousel of paper horses rotating under convection, used at Lantern Festival 元宵節|元宵节[Yuan2 xiao1 jie2] / chaser lights / self-scrolling horizontal text display, such as a news ticker 犒劳 犒勞 kào láo to reward with food and drink / to feast (sb) / presents of food etc made to troops / Taiwan pr. [kao4 lao4] syn 整训 整訓 zhěng xùn to drill troops / to build up and train 彪 biāo (literary) tiger stripes / (by extension) ornate and brightly colored / (by synecdoche) young tiger / (fig.) strong / stalwart / (old) classifier for troops 溃不成军 潰不成軍 kuì bù chéng jūn (of troops) to be utterly routed and dispersed syn 天兵天将 天兵天將 tiān bīng tiān jiàng celestial troops and generals (idiom) / fig. superior forces 置之死地而后生 置之死地而後生 zhì zhī sǐ dì ér hòu shēng (idiom based on Sunzi's "The Art of War" 孫子兵法|孙子兵法[Sun1zi3 Bing1fa3]) to deploy one's troops in such a way that there is no possibility of retreat, so that they will fight for their lives and win the battle / to fight desperately when confronted with mortal danger / to find a way to emerge from a dire situation 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 编遣 編遣 biān qiǎn to reorganize (troops etc) and discharge surplus personnel 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 围城打援 圍城打援 wéi chéng dǎ yuán to besiege and strike the relief force (idiom) / strategy of surrounding a unit to entice the enemy to reinforce, then striking the new troops syn 提调 提調 tí diào to supervise (troops) / to appoint (officers) / to select and assign 甲申政变 甲申政變 jiǎ shēn zhèng biàn unsuccessful and bloody Korean palace coup in 1884 by Westernisers against conservatives, crushed by Qing troops 溃散 潰散 kuì sàn (of troops) to be routed and dispersed syn 幽明 yōu míng the hidden and the visible / that which can be seen and that which cannot / darkness and light / night and day / wisdom and ignorance / evil and good / the living and the dead / men and ghosts 幽明 yōu - míng the hidden and the visible / that which can be seen and that which cannot / darkness and light / night and day / wisdom and ignorance / evil and good / the living and the dead / men and ghosts 队伍 隊伍 duì wǔ ranks / troops / queue / line / procession / CL:個|个[ge4],支[zhi1],條|条[tiao2] syn 部队 部隊 bù duì army / armed forces / troops / force / unit / CL:個|个[ge4] syn 军队 軍隊 jūn duì armed forces / troops / CL:支[zhi1],個|个[ge4] syn 调动 調動 diào dòng to transfer / to maneuver (troops etc) / movement of personnel / to mobilize / to bring into play syn 日军 日軍 rì jūn Japanese army / Japanese troops 兵力 bīng lì military strength / armed forces / troops syn 出动 出動 chū dòng to start out on a trip / to dispatch troops syn 支队 支隊 zhī duì detachment (of troops) 口令 kǒu lìng oral command / a word of command (used in drilling troops or gymnasts) / password (used by sentry) 敌军 敵軍 dí jūn enemy troops / hostile forces / CL:股[gu3] 部下 bù xià troops under one's command / subordinate syn 奇兵 qí bīng troops appearing suddenly (in a raid or ambush) 精锐 精銳 jīng ruì elite (e.g. troops) / crack / best quality personnel syn 出兵 chū bīng to send troops syn 队列 隊列 duì liè formation (of troops) / alignment / (computing) queue / cohort (in a study) syn 牵制 牽制 qiān zhì to control / to curb / to restrict / to impede / to pin down (enemy troops) syn 驻扎 駐紮 zhù zhā to station / to garrison (troops) syn 行军 行軍 xíng jūn (of troops) to march 外线 外線 wài xiàn (military) line of troops encircling an enemy position / (telephony) outside line / (basketball) outside the three-point line 