兵來將擋，水來土掩

See also: 兵来将挡，水来土掩

Chinese

		soldiers; a force; an army soldiers; a force; an army; weapons; arms; military; warlike	to come	a general; (will, shall, "future tense"); ready a general; (will, shall, "future tense"); ready; prepared; to get; to use	arrange; put in order; hinder arrange; put in order; hinder; resist; obstruct; cover; keep off; a cover; to block (a blow); to get in the way of		water; river	to come	earth; dust; rural earth; dust; rural; uncouth; uncultured; plebeian	cover up; to surprise
trad. (兵來將擋，水來土掩)		兵	來	將	擋	，	水	來	土	掩
simp. (兵来将挡，水来土掩)		兵	来	将	挡	，	水	来	土	掩
Literally: “(If enemy) soldiers come, a general (should) stop them. (If flood) waters come, the earth (should) stem it.”

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): bīngláijiàngdǎng, shuǐláitǔyǎn

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄧㄥ ㄌㄞˊ ㄐㄧㄤˋ ㄉㄤˇ , ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄌㄞˊ ㄊㄨˇ ㄧㄢˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): bing¹ loi⁴ zoeng³ dong², seoi² loi⁴ tou² jim²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: bīngláijiàngdǎng, shuǐláitǔyǎn [Phonetic: bīngláijiàngdǎng,shuǐláitúyǎn]
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄧㄥ ㄌㄞˊ ㄐㄧㄤˋ ㄉㄤˇ , ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄌㄞˊ ㄊㄨˇ ㄧㄢˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: bingláijiàngdǎng, shuěiláitǔyǎn
    • Wade–Giles: ping¹-lai²-chiang⁴-tang³, shui³-lai²-tʻu³-yen³
    • Yale: bīng-lái-jyàng-dǎng-, shwěi-lái-tǔ-yǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: binglaijianqdaang, shoeilaituuyean
    • Palladius: бинлайцзяндан, шуйлайтуянь (binlajczjandan, šujlajtujanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /piŋ⁵⁵ laɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹ tɑŋ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ laɪ̯³⁵ tʰu²¹⁴⁻³⁵ jɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: bing¹ loi⁴ zoeng³ dong², seoi² loi⁴ tou² jim²
    • Yale: bīng lòih jeung dóng, séui lòih tóu yím
    • Cantonese Pinyin: bing¹ loi⁴ dzoeng³ dong², soey² loi⁴ tou² jim²
    • Guangdong Romanization: bing¹ loi⁴ zêng³ dong², sêu² loi⁴ tou² yim²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɪŋ⁵⁵ lɔːi̯²¹ t͡sœːŋ³³ tɔːŋ³⁵ sɵy̯³⁵ lɔːi̯²¹ tʰou̯³⁵ jiːm³⁵/

Proverb

兵來將擋，水來土掩

1. to take such measures as the situation calls for