on3 bing1 bat1 dung6按兵不動按兵不动
Jyutpingon3 bing1 bat1 dung6
Yaleon bīng bāt duhng
Definition
To hold one's troops back; to bide one's time and refrain from taking action while observing how a situation develops.
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How it's used
This idiom is often used in professional or strategic contexts to describe a deliberate decision to pause. It conveys a sense of tactical patience rather than simple laziness or indecision. It is frequently employed when someone wants to avoid making a premature move that could lead to negative consequences.
Examples
The situation is unclear right now, let's just wait and see for now.
Do you plan to act immediately, or will you continue to hold your position?
Related words
Common phrases
decide to hold one's position
choose to wait and see
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
