止戈為武

Chinese

		to stop; prohibit; till	spear	because of; for; to because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become	martial; military
trad. (止戈為武/止戈爲武)		止	戈	為/爲	武
simp. (止戈为武)		止	戈	为	武

Etymology

From the analysis of the character 武 as being composed of 止 (“to stop”) and 戈 (“war”) in Zuozhuan:

潘黨曰：「君盍築武軍，而收晉尸以為京觀，臣聞克敵，必示子孫，以無忘武功。」楚子曰：「非爾所知也，夫文，止戈為武。武王克商，作頌曰：『載戢干戈，載櫜弓矢，我求懿德，肆于時夏，允王保之。』」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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潘党曰：「君盍筑武军，而收晋尸以为京观，臣闻克敌，必示子孙，以无忘武功。」楚子曰：「非尔所知也，夫文，止戈为武。武王克商，作颂曰：『载戢干戈，载櫜弓矢，我求懿德，肆于时夏，允王保之。』」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4^th century BCE

Pān Dǎng yuē: “Jūn hé zhù wǔjūn, ér shōu Jìn shī yǐwèi jīngguān, chén wén kè dí, bì shì zǐsūn, yǐ wú wàng wǔgōng.” Chǔ zǐ yuē: “Fēi ěr suǒ zhī yě, fú wén, zhǐgēwéiwǔ. Wǔwáng kè Shāng, zuò sòng yuē: ‘Zǎi jí gāngē, zǎi gāo gōngshǐ, wǒ qiú yìdé, sì yú shí xià, yǔn wáng bǎo zhī.’” [Pinyin]

Pan Dang said to him, 'Why should your lordship not signalize your triumph by making a mound, and collect in it the bodies of the Jinites so as to form a grand monument? I have heard that successful battles should be shown to posterity, so that the prowess of them may not be forgotten." The viscount said, "You do not know what you are talking about. The character for 'prowess' is formed by those for 'to stay' and 'a spear'. When king Wu had subdued Shang, he made the ode, which says, 'He has called in shields and spears; He has returned to their cases bows and arrows. I will seek true virtue, and display it throughout the great land, that as king I may indeed preserve our appointment.'"

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): zhǐgēwéiwǔ

  (Zhuyin): ㄓˇ ㄍㄜ ㄨㄟˊ ㄨˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zi² gwo¹ wai⁴ mou⁵

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: zhǐgēwéiwǔ
    • Zhuyin: ㄓˇ ㄍㄜ ㄨㄟˊ ㄨˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jhǐhgewéiwǔ
    • Wade–Giles: chih³-ko¹-wei²-wu³
    • Yale: jř-gē-wéi-wǔ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jyygeweiwuu
    • Palladius: чжигэвэйу (čžigɛvɛju)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ kɤ⁵⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ u²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zi² gwo¹ wai⁴ mou⁵
    • Yale: jí gwō wàih móuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzi² gwo¹ wai⁴ mou⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: ji² guo¹ wei⁴ mou⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡siː³⁵ kʷɔː⁵⁵ wɐi̯²¹ mou̯¹³/

Idiom

止戈為武

1. to end a war is the true military accomplishment