围魏救赵
围魏救赵 (wéi wèi jiù zhào) literally means “besiege wei to rescue zhao” and expresses “relieve pressure by attacking the source”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving strategy and action. It originates from ancient Chinese literature and remains commonly used in modern Mandarin.
Also searched as: wei wei jiu zhao, wei wei jiu zhao,围魏救赵 meaning, 围魏救赵 in english
Relieve pressure by attacking the source
Pronunciation: wéi wèi jiù zhào
Literal meaning: Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao
Origin & Usage
This idiom refers to besieging (围) Wei (魏) to rescue (救) Zhao (赵). During the Warring States period, when Wei attacked Zhao, strategist Sun Bin advised attacking Wei's capital instead of sending relief forces directly. This forced Wei to withdraw. It became one of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, describing indirect approaches that relieve pressure by attacking the attacker's vulnerabilities.
Examples
English: "Instead of defending directly, they attacked the competitor's main market."
Chinese: 他们没有直接防守，而是围魏救赵，攻击对手的主要市场。
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 围魏救赵 mean in English?
围魏救赵 (wéi wèi jiù zhào) literally translates to “Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao” and is used to express “Relieve pressure by attacking the source”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Strategy & Action category.
When is 围魏救赵 used?
Situation: This idiom applies when describing situations involving relieve pressure by attacking the source.
What is the pinyin for 围魏救赵?
The pinyin pronunciation for 围魏救赵 is “wéi wèi jiù zhào”.