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步步為營

简步步为营 · 繁步步為營

Mandarin · pinyin bù bù wéi yíng

to advance gradually and entrench oneself at every step
to consolidate at every step

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Characters in this entry

步: bù · step, pace; walk, stroll
為: Look up this written character
營: Look up this written character
为: wèi · do, handle, govern, act; be
营: yíng · encampment, barracks; manage

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

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Mandarin tones

4–4–2–2 · bu4 bu4 wei2 ying2

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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.

步步為營 · find source passages ↗ · 步步为营 · 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

(idiomatic) to advance gradually and dig in at every step; to consolidate at every step; to act cautiously

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

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