military pledge; solemn promise to fulfill a task
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesnoun
written guarantee in traditional operas and old novels, accepted after receiving a military order, stating willingness to be punished by military law if the task fails
literaryOriginally refers to a specific historical/military document type found in classical literature and Peking Opera contexts.
Zài在
gǔ古
dài代
xì戏
qǔ曲
zhōng中
，
jiāng将
jūn军
chū出
zhēng征
qián前
cháng常
cháng常
yào要
lì立
xià下
jūn军
lìng令
zhuàng状
。
In ancient operas, generals often had to sign military pledges before going to war.
《
Sān三
Guó国
Yǎn演
Yì义
》
zhōng中
，
Mǎ马
Sù谡
céng曾
xiàng向
Zhū诸
Gě葛
Liàng亮
lì立
xià下
jūn军
lìng令
zhuàng状
qù去
shǒu守
Jiē街
Tíng亭
。
In 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms', Ma Su once made a military pledge to Zhuge Liang to guard Jieting.
noun
a solemn promise or written pledge to complete a task, implying acceptance of severe consequences if one fails
neutralModern extended usage in business, sports, or personal contexts, often implying high stakes or public accountability.
Tā他
xiàng向
dǒng董
shì事
huì会
lì立
xià下
le了
jūn军
lìng令
zhuàng状
，
bǎo保
zhèng证
xià下
gè个
jì季
dù度
niǔ扭
kuī亏
wéi为
yíng盈
。
He made a solemn pledge to the board of directors, guaranteeing to turn losses into profits next quarter.
Jiào教
liàn练
ràng让
duì队
zhǎng长
xiě写
jūn军
lìng令
zhuàng状
，
què确
bǎo保
qiú球
duì队
dǎ打
jìn进
jué决
sài赛
。
The coach made the captain write a pledge to ensure the team would reach the finals.
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Zhè这
kě可
bù不
shì是
suí随
biàn便
shuō说
shuō说
de的
，
tā他
dōu都
lì立
le了
jūn军
lìng令
zhuàng状
le了
。
This isn't just talk; he even made a formal pledge.