Meanings
Origin
Unknown. First attributed to Frederick the Great, and often attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian гладна мечка хоро не играе
- гладна мечка хоро не играе (gladna mečka horo ne igrae)you must eat properly if you want to perform tasks well
Danish uden mad og drikke duer helten ikke
- uden mad og drikke duer helten ikkeyou must eat properly if you want to perform tasks well
Finnish leipä miehen tiellä pitää
- leipä miehen tiellä pitääyou must eat properly if you want to perform tasks well
German ohne Mampf kein Kampf
- ohne Mampf kein Kampfyou must eat properly if you want to perform tasks well
Irish capall na hoibre an bia
- capall na hoibre an biayou must eat properly if you want to perform tasks well
Japanese 腹が減っては戦ができぬ
- 腹が減っては戦ができぬ (hara ga hette wa ikusa ga dekinu)you must eat properly if you want to perform tasks well
Norwegian Bokmål uten mat og drikke duger helten ikke
- uten mat og drikke duger helten ikkeyou must eat properly if you want to perform tasks well
Polish armia maszeruje na brzuchu
- armia maszeruje na brzuchuyou must eat properly if you want to perform tasks well
Thai กองทัพเดินด้วยท้อง
- กองทัพเดินด้วยท้อง (gɔɔng-táp-dəən-dûai-tɔ́ɔng)you must eat properly if you want to perform tasks well
Cite this entry
APA
an army marches on its stomach. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/an%20army%20marches%20on%20its%20stomach
MLA
“an army marches on its stomach.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/an%20army%20marches%20on%20its%20stomach. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “an army marches on its stomach,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/an%20army%20marches%20on%20its%20stomach.
Source: an army marches on its stomach on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.