諺語 · a single proverb
窮寇莫追
Simplified: 穷寇莫追
What does 窮寇莫追 (qióng kòu mò zhuī) mean?
窮寇莫追 (qióng kòu mò zhuī) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "do not chase a cornered enemy." In use it means: A desperate opponent with no retreat is the most dangerous; leaving an exit path is strategically safer than pressing for total destruction. 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 Snake.
Literally: "do not chase a cornered enemy."
The reading
The rat in the corner bites hardest. Not because it got braver, but because it has no other option left. Leave the exit open. The enemy who can run will run. The enemy who cannot will fight with nothing to lose, and nothing-to-lose is the most expensive thing to fight.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Sunzi Bingfa 孫子兵法 (The Art of War), ch. 7
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 Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 窮寇莫追 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 窮寇莫追 (qióng kòu mò zhuī) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Sunzi Bingfa 孫子兵法 (The Art of War), ch. 7. 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 窮寇莫追?
In Mandarin it is qióng kòu mò zhuī. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 窮寇莫追 aloud in Mandarin.