养兵千日,用在一朝 yǎng bīng qiān rì , yòng zài yī zhāo

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. train an army for a thousand days to use it for one morning (idiom)
  2. fig. extensive preparation eventually pays off

CHARACTERS

养 yǎng raise, rear, bring up; support
兵 bīng soldier, troops
千 qiān thousand; many, numerous; very; (Cant.) a cheater, swindler
日 rì sun; day; daytime
用 yòng use, employ, apply, operate; use
在 zài be at, in, on; consist in, rest
一 yī one; a, an; alone
朝 zhāo dynasty; morning