旁敲侧击

Pronunciation: páng qiāo cè jī
Literal meaning: Knock side hit flank

Origin & Usage

This subtle approach describes knocking (敲) from the side (旁) and striking (击) from the flank (侧) rather than direct confrontation, originating from Tang Dynasty military strategy. It first appeared in texts discussing how to defeat superior forces through indirect attacks on vulnerabilities rather than meeting strengths directly. The imagery draws from siege warfare tactics, where attacking walls at angles proved more effective than frontal assault. During the Song Dynasty, it evolved beyond military contexts to describe diplomatic and conversational strategies. Modern usage spans from negotiation tactics to interviewing techniques, describing any approach that achieves objectives through indirect methods rather than obvious or confrontational approaches.

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

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