10 Chinese Idioms About Strategic Planning & Foresight

Foresee big from small signs

Literal meaning: See small know large

First appearing in the Book of Changes, this idiom describes the ability to see (见) subtle signs (微) to understand (知) significant developments (著). During the Warring States period, strategist Sun Bin emphasized this principle in military observation. The concept gained broader application during t...

Plan strategy carefully

Literal meaning: Plan behind curtain

Rooted in military strategy, this idiom describes making crucial decisions behind the curtains (帷幄) of a military command tent while planning (运筹) campaigns. It gained prominence through records of Liu Bang, founder of the Han Dynasty, who was praised for his strategic planning abilities within his ...

Overcome all obstacles

Literal meaning: Cut thorns break brambles

This vivid idiom describes cutting through (披) thorny shrubs (荆) and hacking (斩) through brambles (棘), originating from historical accounts of early settlers clearing wilderness for cultivation. During the Han Dynasty, it became associated with the founding of new territories and opportunities. The ...

Plan far ahead

Literal meaning: Deep plan far thought

Combining deep (深) planning (谋) with far-reaching (远) consideration (虑), this idiom emerged from Western Han political philosophy. It appeared in historical accounts praising strategists who could anticipate complex consequences of their actions. The phrase gained prominence during the Three Kingdom...

Prioritize minor over fundamental matters

Literal meaning: Root branch reversed position

This organizational idiom criticizes reversing (倒置) the proper order of root/fundamental (本) and branch/peripheral matters (末), originating from Han Dynasty governance texts. It first appeared in discussions about administrative priorities, warning officials against focusing on secondary issues whil...

Bluffing with fake display

Literal meaning: Empty show of strength

This deceptive idiom describes creating false (虚) displays (张) of power (势) through noise (声), originating from Warring States period military strategy. It described tactics where weaker forces would use drums, flags, and troops movements to appear more numerous than reality. The specific pairing of...

Excellence that outshines all others

Literal meaning: Rise above the crowd

This distinguished idiom describes emerging (出) from a category (类) and rising above (拔) the crowd (萃), originating from the Book of Later Han. It first described officials whose exceptional talents distinguished them from colleagues. The agricultural metaphor suggests a plant growing noticeably tal...

Maintain high vigilance awaiting challenge

Literal meaning: Pillow spear await dawn

Among the ancient verses of the 'Book of Songs' (1000-600 BCE), this image of soldiers using spears as pillows (枕戈) while awaiting dawn (待旦) captured the essence of vigilant readiness. The concept of sacrificing comfort for security resonated deeply in ancient Chinese military thought. Han Dynasty t...

Rigidly following outdated methods

Literal meaning: Follow map seek fine horse

This idiom originated from the 'Han Feizi' text of the Warring States period, telling of a man seeking an exceptional steed named Ji using only an old drawing, failing because the living horse had changed. During the Tang Dynasty, it became shorthand for rigid methodology ignoring changed realities....

Beyond comprehension or explanation

Literal meaning: Cannot be thought discussed

Early Buddhist sutras translated during the Eastern Han Dynasty brought us this description of matters that cannot (不可) be comprehended through thought or discussion (思议). Originally describing transcendent Buddha-realms beyond ordinary understanding, Tang Dynasty writers adopted it for any phenomen...