假仁纵敌 — “To show inappropriate leniency or kindness to an enemy”

假仁纵敌 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to show inappropriate leniency or kindness to an enemy”. Thereby causing trouble or disaster for oneself. Literally, “Feigned benevolence indulging the enemy”.

Frequency

假仁纵敌 Pronunciation and Pinyin

假仁纵敌 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
假	jiǎ	11	fake, false, or holiday
仁	rén	4	benevolence, empathy, humanity
纵	zòng	7	to let go or indulge
敌	dí	10	enemy or adversary

Example Sentence with 假仁纵敌

面对对手的挑衅，如果一味假仁纵敌，最终只会让自己陷入被动。

Facing the opponent's provocation, if one consistently shows misplaced benevolence, it will only put oneself in a passive position.

Origin and Story of 假仁纵敌

During the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Xiang of Song yearned to emulate Duke Huan of Qi, who was a hegemon, and wished to establish his own dominance. He led his army to attack the State of Zheng.

The State of Chu promptly sent forces to aid Zheng. When Duke Xiang's army encountered the disorganized Chu forces, his minister Sima Ziyu advised him to seize the opportunity to crush them amidst the chaos.

However, Duke Xiang, prioritizing what he considered honorable conduct, insisted on engaging in a fair battle. This act of misplaced benevolence towards his enemy proved disastrous; his army was defeated, and he ultimately met his end in a foreign land.