引而不发

Traditional: 引而不發

yǐn ér bù fā

Dictionary entry

to pull the bow without shooting (idiom from Mencius); ready and waiting for action

What does 引而不发 mean?

引而不发 (yǐn ér bù fā) has the following dictionary meaning.

1to pull the bow without shooting (idiom from Mencius); ready and waiting for action

2to go through the motions

3to practice

4a trial run

Character breakdown

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引yǐnto draw (e.g. a bow) · to pull 而érand · as well as 不bùno; not so · (bound form) not; un-发fāto send out · to show (one's feeling)

Reviewed examples

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How to pronounce 引而不发

引而不发

yǐn ér bù fā

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Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.