坐收渔利
坐收渔利 (zuò shōu yú lì) literally means “sit and collect fishing profits” and expresses “benefit from others' conflict”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving strategy and action.
Also searched as: zuo shou yu li, zuo shou yu li,坐收渔利 meaning, 坐收渔利 in english
Benefit from others' conflict
Pronunciation: zuò shōu yú lì Literal meaning: Sit and collect fishing profits
Origin & Usage
Su Dai, dissuading Zhao from attacking Yan, told the king a story. A clam lay open on the bank; a snipe stabbed at its flesh and the shell closed on its beak. Each told the other it would die first, and while they held on a fisherman came along and took the pair. Qin, said Su Dai, is the fisherman. The full saying is 鹬蚌相争，渔翁得利, and this phrase names the same figure from the other side: the third party who sits still (坐) and collects (收) while two others exhaust each other.
Examples
English: "By strategically positioning himself, he was able to benefit from the hard work of others."
Chinese: 通过巧妙的布局，他坐收渔利。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about strategy & action
名利双收
míng lì shuāng shōu
Gain both fame and fortune
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竭泽而渔
jié zé ér yú
Short-sighted exploitation
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混水摸鱼
hún shuǐ mō yú
Exploit chaos
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火中取栗
huǒ zhōng qǔ lì
Used by others
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将计就计
jiāng jì jiù jì
Turn the enemy's own plot against him
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锦囊妙计
jǐn náng miào jì
Prepared clever strategy
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里应外合
lǐ yìng wài hé
An inside accomplice working with an outside force
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纵横捭阖
zòng héng bǎi hé
Strategic maneuvering
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 坐收渔利 mean in English?
坐收渔利 (zuò shōu yú lì) literally translates to “Sit and collect fishing profits” and is used to express “Benefit from others' conflict”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Strategy & Action category.
When is 坐收渔利 used?
Situation: By strategically positioning himself, he was able to benefit from the hard work of others.
What is the pinyin for 坐收渔利?
The pinyin pronunciation for 坐收渔利 is “zuò shōu yú lì”.