📖 Meaning
Describes an enormous, formidable military force or a vast crowd of people and things. It conveys a sense of overwhelming scale and power, often used metaphorically for any massive movement or grand spectacle.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in Tang dynasty literature, notably in Han Yu's (韩愈) essay 'Lun Tianxia Shi Ren' (论天下史人), where he wrote of vast armies on campaign. The idiom crystallized through classical military writings and historical records that routinely described imperial campaigns in terms of 'thousands of troops and tens of thousands of horses,' reflecting the immense scale of warfare in ancient China.
💡 Example Usage
面对千军万马的敌军，他毫无惧色，镇定自若地指挥着部队。
Facing the enemy's mighty force of thousands of troops and horses, he showed no fear and calmly directed his troops.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 千军万马
- Pinyin: qiān jūn wàn mǎ
- Literal Translation: thousand, troops, ten thousand, horses
- Category: Power
- Characters: 4