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坚壁清野

jiān bì qīng yědictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
to fortify defenses and raze the fields (idiom) / to leave nothing for the invader / scorched earth policy
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-9e1c08965c18b6d8. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

堅壁清野 坚壁清野 [jian1 bi4 qing1 ye3] /to fortify defenses and raze the fields (idiom); to leave nothing for the invader/scorched earth policy/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 堅壁清野

  • 坚
    jiān

    strong / solid / firm / unyielding / resolute

  • 壁
    bì

    wall / rampart

  • 清
    qīng

    (of water etc) clear / clean / quiet / still / pure / uncorrupted / clear / distinct / to clear / to settle (accounts)

    Qīng

    Qing (Wade-Giles: Ch'ing) dynasty of China (1644–1911) / surname Qing

  • 野
    yě

    field / plain / open space / limit / boundary / rude / feral

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.