諺語 · a single proverb
以己之長，攻彼之短
Simplified: 以己之长，攻彼之短
What does 以己之長，攻彼之短 (yǐ jǐ zhī cháng gōng bǐ zhī duǎn) mean?
以己之長，攻彼之短 (yǐ jǐ zhī cháng gōng bǐ zhī duǎn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "use your strengths against their weaknesses." In use it means: Play to your advantages rather than competing where you are weakest; strategy is about leverage, not brute force. 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 Tiger.
Literally: "use your strengths against their weaknesses."
The reading
The sprinter does not challenge the swimmer to a water race. They challenge them to a land race. Knowing what you are good at is useful. Knowing where to deploy that goodness is the difference between effort and victory.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Sunzi Bingfa 孫子兵法 (The Art of War) principles
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 Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 以己之長，攻彼之短 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 以己之長，攻彼之短 (yǐ jǐ zhī cháng gōng bǐ zhī duǎn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Sunzi Bingfa 孫子兵法 (The Art of War) principles. 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 以己之長，攻彼之短?
In Mandarin it is yǐ jǐ zhī cháng gōng bǐ zhī duǎn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 以己之長，攻彼之短 aloud in Mandarin.