諺語 · a single proverb
瞞天過海
Simplified: 瞒天过海
What does 瞞天過海 (mán tiān guò hǎi) mean?
瞞天過海 (mán tiān guò hǎi) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "deceive heaven, cross the sea." In use it means: Use a deceptive strategy to accomplish a goal; cross the sea by deceiving the sky. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Monkey.
Literally: "deceive heaven, cross the sea."
The reading
Emperor Taizong would not cross the sea, convinced he had a phobia of water, so his generals built an elaborate illusion-a palace on boats-and he crossed without knowing he was crossing. The water was not the obstacle; the fear of water was, and the fear was managed with misdirection. Sometimes the method of doing the necessary thing is theater.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Sun Zi 孫子兵法·三十六計 (Thirty-Six Stratagems, First Stratagem)
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Monkey, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 瞞天過海 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 瞞天過海 (mán tiān guò hǎi) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Sun Zi 孫子兵法·三十六計 (Thirty-Six Stratagems, First Stratagem). It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 瞞天過海?
In Mandarin it is mán tiān guò hǎi. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 瞞天過海 aloud in Mandarin.