潜图问鼎 — “To secretly plot to usurp power or a high position”

潜图问鼎 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to secretly plot to usurp power or a high position”. To scheme for dominance from behind the scenes. Literally, “Secretly plot to inquire about the tripods”.

Frequency

潜图问鼎 Pronunciation and Pinyin

潜图问鼎 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
潜	qián	15	hide or operate beneath surface
图	tú	8	picture, map, plan, seek
问	wèn	6	ask, inquire, question
鼎	dǐng	13	ancient tripod cauldron

Example Sentence with 潜图问鼎

那个新来的经理表面上谦逊有礼，实则潜图问鼎，想方设法取代部门主管的地位。

The new manager appeared humble and polite on the surface, but in reality, he was secretly plotting to usurp the position, trying every means to replace the department head.

Origin and Story of 潜图问鼎

During the Spring and Autumn period, King Zhuang of Chu stationed his troops by the Luo River, signaling a challenge to the Zhou Dynasty.

King Ding of Zhou dispatched Wang Sun Man to offer provisions to King Chu. During their meeting, King Chu inquired about the size and weight of the royal tripods in the Zhou court.

This act revealed King Chu's ambition to seize control of the Zhou Dynasty. As the nine tripods were symbols of legitimate rule passed down through the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, "inquiring about the tripods" implicitly meant harboring an ambition to conspire for imperial power.