Chinese chengyu 招兵买马 (zhāo bīng mǎi mǎ) breaks down to into recruit (招zhāo ) soldiers (兵bīng) buy (买mǎi) horses (马 mǎ). This is translated into English as ‘recruit soldiers, buy horses.”
You can take this chéngyǔ at face value since the meaning is essential “to raise a large army” or “to raise a large army and prepare for battle.” In English, phrases like “suit up,” “fire up the engines,” or even “ready the troops” uses a similarly concise way to state a larger purpose.
Today, you’re more likely to hear this chéngyǔ in a business setting than in a war. For example, a new business is opening and they need whole new staff (员工 yuángōng). Or, after a product is ready and you need to hire a sales force (销售团队 xiāoshòutuánduì) to face off against your competitors.
Chinese Chengyu Vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
| 招 | Zhāo | find/recruit |
| 兵 | bīng | soldiers |
| 买 | mǎi | buy |
| 马 | mǎ | horse |
| 销售团队 | xiāoshòutuánduì | sales team |
| 员工 | yuángōng | staff |
Have you ever been in a situation with “Recruit soldiers, buy horses”? Why not share with our professional tutors!
Here are other ChengYu related to animals you might interested in: 狗急跳牆, 守株待兔, 狼多肉少.
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