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The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Sun Tzu • Curated US English Learning Edition

TERRAIN [Only about a third of the chapter, comprising §§ 1-13, deals with "terrain," the subject being more fully treated in ch.

Cover illustration for The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

[The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighbourhood of valleys.

[The idea is, not to linger among barren uplands, but to keep close to supplies of water and grass.

Cf.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter VIII Reading 1/40

The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

[The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

Line 2

Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

Line 3

Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighbourhood of valleys.

Line 4

[The idea is, not to linger among barren uplands, but to keep close to supplies of water and grass.

Line 5

Cf.

All words in this reading · 48

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

1

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading [The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

among

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading [The idea is, not to linger among barren uplands, but to keep close to supplies of water and grass.

and

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

are

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading [The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

army

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

barren

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading [The idea is, not to linger among barren uplands, but to keep close to supplies of water and grass.

better

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading [The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

but

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From this reading [The idea is, not to linger among barren uplands, but to keep close to supplies of water and grass.

by

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From this reading [The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

Cf

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From this reading Cf.

chapter

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From this reading [The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

close

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From this reading [The idea is, not to linger among barren uplands, but to keep close to supplies of water and grass.

come

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

contents

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From this reading [The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

encamping

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From this reading Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

enemy

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From this reading Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

grass

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading [The idea is, not to linger among barren uplands, but to keep close to supplies of water and grass.

heading

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From this reading [The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

idea

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From this reading [The idea is, not to linger among barren uplands, but to keep close to supplies of water and grass.

in

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From this reading [The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

indicated

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From this reading [The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

interesting

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From this reading [The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

is

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading [The idea is, not to linger among barren uplands, but to keep close to supplies of water and grass.

keep

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighbourhood of valleys.

linger

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading [The idea is, not to linger among barren uplands, but to keep close to supplies of water and grass.

mountains

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighbourhood of valleys.

neighbourhood

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighbourhood of valleys.

not

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From this reading [The idea is, not to linger among barren uplands, but to keep close to supplies of water and grass.

now

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From this reading Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

observing

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From this reading Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

of

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From this reading [The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

over

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From this reading Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighbourhood of valleys.

Pass

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighbourhood of valleys.

question

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From this reading Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

quickly

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighbourhood of valleys.

said

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From this reading Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

signs

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From this reading Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

Sun

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

supplies

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading [The idea is, not to linger among barren uplands, but to keep close to supplies of water and grass.

than

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading [The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

The

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From this reading [The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

this

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From this reading [The contents of this interesting chapter are better indicated in § 1 than by this heading.] 1.

to

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From this reading Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

Tzŭ

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

uplands

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading [The idea is, not to linger among barren uplands, but to keep close to supplies of water and grass.

valleys

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighbourhood of valleys.

water

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading [The idea is, not to linger among barren uplands, but to keep close to supplies of water and grass.

We

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sun Tzŭ said: We come now to the question of encamping the army, and observing signs of the enemy.

Chapter Quiz

Use these questions to verify literal comprehension before continuing to the next chapter.

What is the central narrative or theme conveyed in this section of Chapter 10: Terrain (Địa Hình)?

Which core linguistic virtue or character attribute is emphasized in this passage?

According to the text: "X....", what tone does the author establish?

Shadowing Practice

Repeat the selected source lines aloud to practice rhythm, stress, and clear US English pronunciation.

Narrator: X.

Narrator: When the higher officers are angry and insubordinate, and on

Chapter 8 of The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters by Sun Tzu holds 204 sentences, grouped into 41 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 8 of The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters contain?

Chapter 8 holds 204 sentences of The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters by Sun Tzu exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 204 sentences, grouped into 41 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 8 of The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters

Common questions about reading The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters by Sun Tzu on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters?

Yes. All 2761 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #132 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #132, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters take to read?

About 230 minutes of reading across 553 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters section by section

How to work through The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

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Vocabulary met early in The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Preface: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Project: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Gutenberg: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Etext: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Art of War: Complete 13 Chapters; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.