10 Chinese Idioms From The Art of War & Military Strategy

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 ...

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...

Advance methodically with caution

Literal meaning: Each step make camp

This strategic approach emerged from Han Dynasty military manuals, describing armies that established (为) a secure camp (营) with each step (步步) of their advance. The tactic gained fame during the Three Kingdoms period when general Cao Cao used it to campaign through difficult terrain. Unlike rapid d...

Achieve secretly through misdirection

Literal meaning: Secretly cross Chencang

This strategic idiom refers to secretly (暗) crossing/passing (度) through Chencang (陈仓), originating from Han Xin's famous military maneuver during the Chu-Han contention (206-202 BCE). Historical records describe how Han Xin pretended to repair roads in one location while secretly moving troops thro...

Eliminate root cause of problem

Literal meaning: Remove firewood under pot

This practical idiom describes removing (抽) firewood (薪) from under (底) a cooking pot (釜), originating from Wei-Jin period practical wisdom. Unlike dramatic interventions, it emphasized solving problems by eliminating their underlying causes. The cooking metaphor resonated deeply in Chinese culture,...

Mutual conflict benefits third party

Literal meaning: Snipe clam mutual fight

This cautionary tale depicts a snipe (鹬) and clam (蚌) in mutual (相) combat (争), originating from the 'Strategies of the Warring States' around 300 BCE. During the Han Dynasty, political advisors frequently cited it to warn rulers about the dangers of becoming obsessed with immediate opponents while ...

Sharp, direct confrontation in argument

Literal meaning: Needle points facing each other

Military tacticians of the Southern and Northern Dynasties first used this image of needle points (针锋) directly facing each other (相对) to describe precise tactical confrontation. Tang Dynasty literary critics adopted it for scholarly debates, appreciating how it captured the essence of pointed intel...

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...