紙上談兵

zhǐshàngtánbīng

fight only on paper; be an armchair strategist; engage in idle theorizing

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zhi3 shang4 tan2 bing1

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 leading an army of 400,000 to total annihilation at battle of Changping 長平之戰, 长平之战 in 260 BC

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紙上談兵|纸上谈兵 [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 leading an army of 400,000 to total annihilation at battle of Changping ↑長平之戰|↑长平之战 in 260 BC