📖 Meaning
Originally a military term describing how an army advances by setting up fortified camps at each step, ensuring solid defensive positions. It now means acting with great caution and deliberation, securing each position before moving forward.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the classical Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong of the Ming Dynasty. In Chapter 71, during a military campaign, the strategy of advancing step by step while fortifying each position was recommended to encourage soldiers and lure the enemy general Xiahou Yuan into battle. The tactic was described as a way to reverse a subordinate role into a dominant one.
💡 Example Usage
面对强大的竞争对手，公司决定步步为营，先稳住现有市场再逐步扩张。
Facing strong competitors, the company decided to secure its position step by step, first stabilizing its existing market before gradually expanding.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 步步为营
- Pinyin: bù bù wéi yíng
- Literal Translation: step, step, set up, camp
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4