南征北伐

nánzhēngběifá
war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters

CEDICT

形容經歷許多戰爭。唐．陳子昂〈為金吾將軍陳令英請免官表〉：「西踰流沙，東絕滄海，南征北伐，無所不至。」唐．柳宗元〈封建論〉：「歷於宣王，挾中興復古之德，雄南征北伐之威，卒不能定魯侯之嗣。」也作「南征北討」、「南征北戰」。

重編國語辭典

Entry Composition

1 南征 nánzhēng punitive expedition to the south
=2 北伐 Běifá the Northern Expedition, the Nationalists' campaign of 1926-1928 under Chiang Kai-shek, against the rule of local warlords
=2 北伐 běifá
  1. short for 北伐戰爭／北伐战争 (Běifá Zhànzhēng, “Northern Expedition”)
  2. to fight north; to wage a punitive expedition to the north

Related entries

南征北戰 nánzhēngběizhàn war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters
南征北討 nánzhēngběitǎo war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters
東征西怨 dōngzhēngxīyuàn war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters
東征西討 dōngzhēngxītǎo war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters
東討西征 dōngtǎoxīzhēng war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters