養兵千日，用在一朝

养兵千日，用在一朝
yǎngbīngqiānrì,yòngzàiyīzhāo
  1. lit. train an army for a thousand days to use it for one morning (idiom)
  2. fig. extensive preparation eventually pays off

CEDICT

Entry Composition

1 養兵 yǎngbīng to train troops
=2 千 qiān thousand
=2 千 qiān used in 鞦韆 qiūqiān
3 日 rì
  1. sun
  2. day
  3. date, day of the month
4 用 yòng
  1. to use; to make use of; to employ
  2. (coverb) with; using
  3. to need; to have to (usu. used in the negative or in questions)
  4. usefulness; utility
  5. (bound form) expense; outlay
  6. (courteous) to eat; to drink
  7. (literary) hence; therefore
5 在 zài
  1. to exist; to be alive
  2. (of sb or sth) to be (located) at
  3. (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress)
6 一朝 yīzhāo
  1. (literary) one day; unexpected occasion in the future
  2. one day; unexpected occasion in the future