攻其不备

Pronunciation: gōng qí bù bèi Literal meaning: Attack the unprepared

Origin & Usage

Sun Tzu's first chapter ends with a pair: 攻其无备，出其不意 — attack (攻) where they (其) are unprepared (备), appear where you are not expected. The common modern form writes 不备 for his 无备; both negate preparation and the sense is unchanged. The two clauses are one instruction seen from either side. What the phrase adds to the ordinary idea of surprise is a target — it directs attention to the specific gap in the opponent's preparation, which has to be found before it can be struck. It is used freely in Chinese business and sport, and it survives translation better than most of Sun Tzu.

Examples

English: "In the heat of competition, they decided to strike when their opponent was unprepared."

Chinese: 在竞争的激烈中，他们决定攻其不备。