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兵貴神速

简兵贵神速 · 繁兵貴神速

Mandarin · pinyin bīng guì shén sù

lit. speed is a crucial asset in war (idiom)
fig. swift and resolute (in doing sth)

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Characters in this entry

兵: bīng · soldier, troops
貴: Look up this written character
神: shén · spirit, god, supernatural being
速: sù · quick, prompt, speedy
贵: guì · expensive, costly, valuable

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–4–2–4 · bing1 gui4 shen2 su4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

兵貴神速 · find source passages ↗ · 兵贵神速 · find source passages ↗

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(literally, figuratively) speed is essential in war

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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