📖 Meaning
To pack and prepare one's belongings, then wait for departure. It describes a state of full readiness where one is prepared to set off at a moment's notice. Often used for troops, expeditions, or travelers ready to move.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom has no single classical literary source. It is a modern compound combining 整装 (to pack and tidy one's gear) with 待发 (to await departure). It frequently appears in military, travel, and expedition accounts where forces or travelers have completed preparations and stand ready to move out. Its usage is well established in modern Chinese.
💡 Example Usage
登山队已整装待发，只等天亮就向山顶进发。
The mountaineering team is fully packed and ready, just waiting for daybreak to push for the summit.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 整装待发
- Pinyin: zhěng zhuāng dài fā
- Literal Translation: arrange, pack, wait, depart
- Category: Determination
- Characters: 4