趁火打劫

Pronunciation: chèn huǒ dǎ jié Literal meaning: Take advantage of fire to rob

Origin & Usage

The idiom 趁火打劫 (chèn huǒ dǎ jié) originates from the ancient Chinese military text 《三十六计》 (Thirty-Six Stratagems), specifically the fifth stratagem. It describes the tactic of taking advantage of an enemy's misfortune or chaos to gain an advantage. The idiom is vividly illustrated in the story of the Spring and Autumn period, where the state of Yue, under King Goujian, exploited the weakened state of Wu to reclaim power. The characters break down as follows: 趁 (chèn, take advantage of), 火 (huǒ, fire), 打 (dǎ, hit), and 劫 (jié, rob). In modern usage, it refers to opportunistically exploiting someone's vulnerability or misfortune for personal gain, often with a negative connotation.

Examples

English: "Taking advantage of the chaos, he seized the opportunity to profit."

Chinese: 趁火打劫，他在混乱中获利。