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引而不發

简引而不发 · 繁引而不發

Mandarin · pinyin yǐn ér bù fā

to pull the bow without shooting (idiom from Mencius); ready and waiting for action
to go through the motions
to practice
a trial run

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Characters in this entry

引: yǐn · to pull, draw out, attract; to stretch
而: ér · and; and then; and yet; but; Kangxi radical 126
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
發: fā · issue, dispatch, send out, emit
发: fā · issue, dispatch, send out; hair

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

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Mandarin tones

3–2–4–1 · yin3 er2 bu4 fa1

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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.

引而不發 · find source passages ↗ · 引而不发 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

jan5 ji4 bat1 faat3

Cantonese word readings for 引而不發. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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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

(idiomatic) to be good at guiding others while leaving them to act on their own
(idiomatic) to prepare and wait for action

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

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