步步为营
What does 步步为营 mean?
To advance cautiously step by step, securing each position before moving forward; patient, methodical progress
形容前进时非常谨慎，每走一步都先站稳、守住，再继续向前。
Historical origin
During the Hanzhong campaign, Liu Bei sent the veteran general Huang Zhong to challenge Xiahou Yuan, who held the heights of Dingjun Mountain. Rather than charging uphill, Huang Zhong made the incremental camp-by-camp advance his central strategy: he built and fortified one camp at the foot of the mountain, secured it completely, then pushed forward to establish the next, repeating this methodical process to inch ever closer to the summit. This deliberate uphill siege was the defining tactic of his campaign. When Xiahou Yuan finally split his forces to reinforce a weakened position, Huang Zhong seized the opening and struck decisively, winning a pivotal victory.
How do you use 步步为营 in a sentence?
Our team worked step by step on the science project, checking each part carefully instead of rushing and making mistakes.
我们小组做科学项目时步步为营，认真检查每一个部分，以免因匆忙出错。
Common mistake
A common mistake is using this idiom to describe someone who is simply slow or afraid to act. It is wrong because 步步为营 praises careful, planned progress, not cowardice or laziness.
一个常见错误是用这个成语来形容某人做事拖拉或胆小怯懦。这样不对，因为"步步为营"称赞的是谨慎、有计划地推进，不是胆小或懒散。
More examples and usage guide