兵马未动，粮草先行 in English bing1 ma3 wei4 dong4 , liang2 cao3 xian1 xing2 Meaning

Meanings

  • before the troops move, fodder and provisions go first (idiomatic expression); logistics comes before military maneuvers
  • an army marches on its stomach

Simplified Characters

兵 马 未 动 ， 粮 草 先 行

Traditional Characters

兵 馬 未 動 ， 糧 草 先 行

Pinyin

bing1 ma3 wei4 dong4 , liang2 cao3 xian1 xing2

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

兵bing1soldiers 马ma3surname Ma 未wei4not yet 动dong4(of sth) to move ， 粮liang2grain 草cao3variant of 草[cao3] 先xian1early 行xing2row