Chinese Text Project Dictionary

Daoism -> Dao De Jing -> 69

	(The use of the mysterious (Dao))
用兵有言：	A master of the art of war has said,
吾不敢為主，	'I do not dare to be the host (to commence the war);
而為客；	I prefer to be the guest (to act on the defensive).
不敢進寸，	I do not dare to advance an inch;
而退尺。	I prefer to retire a foot.'
是謂行無行；	This is called marshalling the ranks where there are no ranks;
攘無臂；	baring the arms (to fight) where there are no arms to bare;
扔無敵；	grasping the weapon where there is no weapon to grasp;
執無兵。	advancing against the enemy where there is no enemy.
禍莫大於輕敵，	There is no calamity greater than lightly engaging in war.
輕敵幾喪吾寶。	To do that is near losing (the gentleness) which is so precious.
故抗兵相加，	Thus it is that when opposing weapons are (actually) crossed,
哀者勝矣。	he who deplores (the situation) conquers.

Character	Composition	Variants	Reading	Meaning	Hanyu	Kangxi	Cihai
用	用+0	𤰆𠛁	yòng ㄩㄥˋ	use, employ, apply, operate; use	v1,p0097#05	p.755#24	p.908r6c02
兵	八+5	𠈯𠡿	bīng ㄅㄧㄥ	soldier, troops	v1,p0244#04	p.127#10	p.162r1c02
有	月+2		yǒu ㄧㄡˇ	Have, possess. / Store, collect. / Occupy. / Hold on to, retain. / Have in abundance. / Good harvest. / Obtain. / Only. / Be, exist. / Occur, happen. / Make. / Particle used before a noun with no meaning. / Particle used before a monosyllabic adjective with no meaning. / Particle used before a verb with no meaning. / Still, yet. / Some people. / Region.	v3,p2041#05	p.504#20	p.656r5c01
			yòu ㄧㄡˋ	Help, assist. / Same as 「又(3)」 yòu ㄧㄡˋ: Moreover.
言	言+0	訁𢍗𢍬	yán ㄧㄢˊ	Speak, say. / Discuss, debate. / Tell. / Doctrine, theory, words. / One word. / Sentence. / Particle, no meaning.	v6,p3936#01	p.1146#01	p.1236r5c03
吾	口+4	𠮣	wú ㄨˊ	First person pronoun: I, we. / Defend, resist.	v1,p0585#13	p.180#03	p.260r5c01
			yú ㄩˊ	See 吾吾.
			yá ㄧㄚˊ	Yunyu, an ancient district.
不	一+3	不𠀚𠙐	bù ㄅㄨˋ	Not have. / To not be. / Negational adverb, used before verbs, adjectives, etc. to indicate negation. / Negational adverb expressing prohibition: do not. / Negational adverb expressing rhetorical question: is not...?	v1,p0011#06	p.76#15	p.30r1c01
			fǒu ㄈㄡˇ	Same as 「否(1.2)」 fǒu ㄈㄡˇ: Adverb used together with an affirmative word, expressing its negative or opposite. / Same as 「否(1.3)」 fǒu ㄈㄡˇ: Adverb used at the end of a question to form a yes-no question.
			fū ㄈㄨ	Sepal of a flower.
			pī ㄆㄧ	Same as 「丕(1)」 pī ㄆㄧ: Large.
			bǐ ㄅㄧˇ	Show disdain for.
敢	攴+8	𠭖𢽤𣪏	gǎn ㄍㄢˇ	to dare, venture; bold, brave	v2,p1463#09	p.472#26	p.605r4c02
為	火+5	爲为	wéi ㄨㄟˊ	Create, make. / Build, construct. / Do. / Plant, grow. / Govern. / Research, study. / Serve as. / Change into, become. / As, in the role of. / Count as, be considered as. / Called, named. / Expresses judgement: is. / Make, cause (to). / Have. / Take part in. / Write, author. / Connective: if. / Particle used in the middle of a sentence to move forward the object. / Modal particle used at the end of a sentence to express a rhetorical question.	v3,p2198#11	p.669#10	p.844r4c03
			wèi ㄨㄟˋ	Help, assist. / Preposition: for, on behalf of. / Preposition: by (passive). / Preposition: because of, due to. / Preposition: with, together with. / Connective: because. / Say. / False, fake.
主	丶+4	丶宔	zhǔ ㄓㄨˇ	master, chief owner; host; lord	v1,p0044#03	p.80#20	p.45r2c01
而	而+0		ér ㄦˊ	Whiskers. / Like, similar to. / Pronoun: you. / Pronoun: this, like this. / Connective: and, with. / Connective: and, then. / Connective: if, supposing. / Connective: yet, however. / Connective: therefore, hence. / Connective: expresses method or state. / Particle: of. / Expressive particle.	v4,p2810#01	p.961#18	p.1080r2c03
			néng ㄋㄥˊ	Same as 「能(3)」 néng ㄋㄥˊ: Able to, competent. / Same as 「能(2.1)」 néng ㄋㄥˊ: Ability, talent.
客	宀+6		kè ㄎㄜˋ	guest, traveller; customer	v2,p0927#13	p.284#12	p.416r4c04
進	辵+8	𨙟𨗃进	jìn ㄐㄧㄣˋ	advance, make progress, enter	v6,p3851#05	p.1259#30	p.1322r2c03
寸	寸+0	等吋	cùn ㄘㄨㄣˋ	inch; small, tiny; KangXi radical 41	v1,p0503#08	p.293#32	p.432r2c02
退	辵+6	𨓆𨑧𢓴𢓇𨔫	tuì ㄊㄨㄟˋ	step back, retreat, withdraw	v6,p3834#04	p.1256#14	p.1314r4c01
尺	尸+1		chǐ ㄔˇ	Measure word: unit of length equal to ten cun. / Ruler, tool for measuring length. / Type of pulse-reading point in Chinese medicine.	v2,p0964#02	p.299#32	p.445r6c01
是	日+5	昰𣆞	shì ㄕˋ	Straight. / Right, correct. / Believe accurate, affirm. / Demonstrative pronoun: this. / Be (copula). / Auxiliary word, used after moving forward the object.	v2,p1497#05	p.493#26	p.639r1c01
謂	言+9	谓	wèi ㄨㄟˋ	To (when speaking to someone). / Say, speak. / Call, name. / Meaning, what is meant. / Discuss, comment on (a person). / How? / Same as 「為(21.3)」 wèi ㄨㄟˋ: Preposition: because of, due to.	v6,p3997#06	p.1173#12	p.1251r6c01
			wéi ㄨㄟˊ	Same as 「為(10)」 wéi ㄨㄟˊ: Count as, be considered as.
行	行+0	行	xíng ㄒㄧㄥˊ	Walk, move (on foot). / Advance, move forward. / Leave, exit. / Patrol, go on inspection. / Inspection of the realm by the Son of Heaven. / Be married off. / Flow, circulate. / Channel, guide. / Revolution, circular motion. / Experience. / Luggage, belongings taken on a journey. / Do, carry out. / Actions. / Accomplishments. / Use, utilize. / Take over (an official duty). / Offer, present. / Moral conduct, behaviour. / A type of classical poem. / A piece of music. / Semi-cursive script. / Adverb: will, about to. / Adverb: again, once more. / Adverb: by chance, luckily. / Ambassador (official title). / Measure word for number of pourings of drinks.	v2,p0811#06	p.1108#31	p.1203r5c05
			háng ㄏㄤˊ	Road. / Track, pattern. / Row, line. / Row of soldiers in battle. / Unit of 25 soldiers. / Shaft of a feather (and by extension, wings). / Measure word for things which form rows. / Rank, position.
無	火+8	𣟒𣚨𠘩无橆	wú ㄨˊ	Not have. / Philosophical category referring to absence, non-existence, or vacuity. / Adverb expressing negation: not. / Adverb expressing questioning: or not. / Connective: regardless of. / Connective: even if. / Particle used at the beginning of a sentence, no meaning. / Do not. / Barren, uncultivated.	v3,p2211#15	p.673#26	p.848r2c04
攘	手+17	𣀮	ràng rǎng níng xiǎng ráng ㄖㄤˋ ㄖㄤˇ ㄋㄧㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄤˇ ㄖㄤˊ	seize, take by force; repel	v3,p1985#02	p.463#11	p.597r2c07
臂	肉+13		bì bei bèi ㄅㄧˋ ㄅㄟ· ㄅㄟˋ	arm	v3,p2119#08	p.996#09	p.1104r6c03
扔	手+2		rēng rèng ㄖㄥㄖㄥˋ	throw, hurl; throw away, cast	v3,p1828#01	p.417#13	p.559r3c01
敵	攴+11	敌	dí ㄉㄧˊ	enemy, foe, rival; resist	v2,p1475#04	p.474#48	p.607r1c02
執	土+8	执𠌷	zhí ㄓˊ	hold in hand; keep; carry out	v1,p0457#05	p.231#09	p.321r1c02
禍	示+9	旤𥚍𣨷𥙯祸	huò ㄏㄨㄛˋ	misfortune, calamity, disaster	v4,p2402#04	p.844#31
莫	艸+7	𦮅䒬𦱴	mò mù ㄇㄛˋ ㄇㄨˋ	do not, is not, can not; negative	v5,p3217#15	p.1035#13	p.1141r3c03
大	大+0	𠘲	dà ㄉㄚˋ	Large, great. / Exceed, be greater than. / Venerate, treat as being great. / Many. / Thick, coarse. / Elder. / Respectful term of address. / Adverb expressing high level or broad range.	v1,p0520#01	p.248#01	p.342r3c03
			tài ㄊㄞˋ	Most (superlative). / Too much. / Peaceful, tranquil.
於	方+4	烏𣱏𤕘于亏扵	yú ㄩˊ	Be (copula). / Be, exist. / Preposition: in. / Preposition: from or to. / Preposition: compared to. / Preposition: to, for, towards. / Preposition: by (indicating passive tense). / Preposition: with, using. / Preposition: due to, because of. / Preposition: by, according to. / Connective: just as. / Auxiliary word, no meaning.	v3,p2175#02	p.481#11	p.622r2c03
輕	車+7	𨌷𨓷轻	qīng ㄑㄧㄥ	Light, low weight. / Small, thin. / Light and quick, agile. / Easy, casual. / Frivolous, careless. / Reduce, lighten. / Show contempt for, view as unimportant.	v5,p3534#05	p.1244#09	p.1301r6c01
幾	幺+9	𢆻𢆼几	jǐ jī ㄐㄧˇ ㄐㄧ	how many? how much?; a few, some	v2,p1095#08	p.342#14	p.486r2c02
喪	口+9	𡂤𡴧𡂧𦦦𡚏丧	sàng ㄙㄤˋ	Lose, cease to have. / Die. / Destroy, lose.	v1,p0650#03	p.200#12	p.286r5c02
			sāng ㄙㄤ	Funeral rites, mourning. / Dismayed, dispirited. / Remains, body in a coffin.
寶	宀+17	宝寳寚𠋾珤	bǎo ㄅㄠˇ	treasure, jewel; precious, rare	v2,p0958#03	p.293#12	p.431r1c02
故	攴+5		gù ㄍㄨˋ	Cause. / State of affairs. / Event, incident. / Plot. / Old. / Past, original. / Death. / On purpose. / Originally. / Hence, thus.	v2,p1453#05	p.469#25	p.601r5c01
抗	手+4	亢	kàng káng ㄎㄤˋ ㄎㄤˊ	resist, oppose, defy, reject	v3,p1843#04	p.422#02	p.564r1c01
相	目+4		xiāng ㄒㄧㄤ	Mutual. / In succession. / Together.	v4,p2470#13	p.800#18	p.945r1c01
			xiàng ㄒㄧㄤˋ	Watch. / Appearance. / Fortune-telling by appearance. / Help, assist. / Guide for the blind. / Prime minister, most senior minister. / Ceremonial officer.
加	力+3		jiā ㄐㄧㄚ	add to, increase, augment	v1,p0366#01	p.146#13	p.193r1c01
哀	口+6		āi ㄞ	sad, mournful, pitiful; pity	v1,p0620#10	p.188#11	p.270r4c01
者	老+4		zhě ㄓㄜˇ	Pronoun used after verbs, adjectives, etc. in place of a person or thing. / Pronoun used after numbers in place of a thing. / Pronoun used after time or negation to express "when" or "if". / Expressive particle used in a declarative sentence after the subject. / Expressive particle used in a sentence after the subject to express cause or explanation.	v4,p2780#05	p.961#01	p.1080r1c01
			zhuó ㄓㄨㄛˊ	In, located in.
勝	力+10	𠢧𠅫𢾶胜	shèng shēng ㄕㄥˋ ㄕㄥ	victory; excel, be better than	v3,p2090#13	p.148#31	p.197r6c02
矣	矢+2	𠤘	yǐ ㄧˇ	Modal particle used to express declaration. / Modal particle used to express exclamation. / Modal particle used to express an order or request.	v4,p2580#04	p.823#37	p.955r5c01

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