We’re offering free resources to help you learn Chinese. In this series, idioms and proverbs take center stage, known for their deep meanings and versatile usage. Today’s idiom is 「圍魏救趙」, explained below.
Here is the Chinese idiom 「圍魏救趙」, along with its meaning and how it is used.
It originally referred to the situation during the Warring States Period where the Qi army besieged the Wei state, forcing the Wei state to withdraw its attacking troops and thus saving the Zhao state. The rear refers to the tactic of attacking the enemy’s strongholds in the rear to force the attacking enemy to retreat.
The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :
wéi wèi jiù zhào
while its Cantonese pinyin is :
wai4 ngai6 gau3 jiu6
With so many Chinese idioms, each holding diverse meanings and uses, there is much to explore. These materials are designed to support your Chinese language studies.
