旁敲侧击
旁敲侧击 (páng qiāo cè jī) literally means “knock side hit flank” and expresses “approach indirectly to achieve goal”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving strategy and action.
Also searched as: pang qiao ce ji, pang qiao ce ji,旁敲侧击 meaning, 旁敲侧击 in english
Approach indirectly to achieve goal
Pronunciation: páng qiāo cè jī Literal meaning: Knock side hit flank
Origin & Usage
Knocking (敲) at the side (旁) and striking (击) at the flank (侧) rather than asking outright. Despite the vocabulary this is not a military phrase: late-imperial vernacular fiction uses it as a social manoeuvre, circling a subject to draw something out of somebody who would not answer a direct question. Chinese keeps the mild disapproval, because the indirection is understood as the speaker's choice rather than the situation's requirement — a fair description of an interrogation and a slightly unfair one of tact.
Examples
English: "The journalist used indirect questions to uncover the sensitive information"
Chinese: 记者使用间接问题来揭示敏感信息
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about strategy & action
侧目而视
cè mù ér shì
Regard with fear and resentment
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以卵击石
yǐ luǎn jī shí
Doomed by mismatch
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退避三舍
tuì bì sān shè
Make concessions to avoid conflict
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推波助澜
tuī bō zhù lán
Amplifying existing trends or momentum
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与虎谋皮
yǔ hǔ móu pí
Asking someone to sacrifice their core interests
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迎刃而解
yíng rèn ér jiě
Easily solved once properly approached
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随机应变
suí jī yìng biàn
Adapt to circumstances; think on one's feet
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声东击西
shēng dōng jī xī
Create a diversion; use misdirection
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 旁敲侧击 mean in English?
旁敲侧击 (páng qiāo cè jī) literally translates to “Knock side hit flank” and is used to express “Approach indirectly to achieve goal”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Strategy & Action category.
When is 旁敲侧击 used?
Situation: The journalist used indirect questions to uncover the sensitive information
What is the pinyin for 旁敲侧击?
The pinyin pronunciation for 旁敲侧击 is “páng qiāo cè jī”.
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