严阵以待

嚴陣以待

yánzhènyǐdài

idiom #18,506

Meanings

1 to stand ready in battle formation
2 to be fully prepared; on high alert

Characters

battle formation; array

to wait; to await

Examples

台风来临之前，全市严阵以待。

Táifēng láilín zhīqián, quánshì yánzhènyǐdài.

Before the typhoon arrived, the whole city was on high alert.

警察严阵以待，防止骚乱发生。

Jǐngchá yánzhènyǐdài, fángzhǐ sāoluàn fāshēng.

The police stood fully prepared to prevent riots from breaking out.

Tips

memory

严 (strict) + 阵 (battle formation) + 以 (in order to) + 待 (wait) — standing in strict formation, ready and waiting. Picture soldiers in perfect rows, braced for the enemy.

Stroke Order

严 yán

阵 zhèn

以 yǐ

待 dài