諺語 · a single proverb
圍魏救趙
Simplified: 围魏救赵
What does 圍魏救趙 (wéi wèi jiù zhào) mean?
圍魏救趙 (wéi wèi jiù zhào) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "surround Wei to rescue Zhao." In use it means: Attack what an enemy values to force them to withdraw; solve a problem indirectly. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Monkey.
Literally: "surround Wei to rescue Zhao."
The reading
The direct road to Zhao ran through the Wei army, which was why General Sun Bin did not take it. He turned instead and marched on Wei's capital, and Wei's army turned around to defend what it could not afford to lose. The oblique approach is not cowardice but geometry: the best angle is rarely the frontal one.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Shi Ji 史記·孫子吳起列傳 (Sūn Zǐ Wú Qǐ biography)
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 圍魏救趙 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 圍魏救趙 (wéi wèi jiù zhào) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Shi Ji 史記·孫子吳起列傳 (Sūn Zǐ Wú Qǐ biography). 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 圍魏救趙?
In Mandarin it is wéi wèi jiù zhào. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 圍魏救趙 aloud in Mandarin.