螳螂捕蛇 — “To overcome a stronger opponent with clever tactics and determination”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 螳螂捕蛇?

形容只要方法得当，敢于斗争，以弱制强

螳螂捕蛇 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to overcome a stronger opponent with clever tactics and determination”. Despite being physically weaker. Literally, “Mantis catches snake”.

Frequency

螳螂捕蛇 Pronunciation and Pinyin

螳螂捕蛇 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
螳	táng	17	mantis
螂	láng	14	mantis, beetle, cockroach
捕	bǔ	10	catch, seize, or apprehend
蛇	shé	11	snake, compliant, tactful

Example Sentence with 螳螂捕蛇

面对市场上的强大竞争者，我们的小团队凭借独特的创意和灵活的策略，最终螳螂捕蛇，成功占据了一席之地。

Facing formidable competitors in the market, our small team, with unique creativity and flexible strategies, ultimately managed to overcome the strong, successfully securing a foothold.

Origin and Story of 螳螂捕蛇

In ancient times, a man named Zhang was passing by a cliff when he saw a large snake, as thick as a bowl, swaying among the bushes, its tail breaking branches.

He observed closely and noticed a small mantis clinging to the giant snake's head, gripping its head firmly with its bayonet-like sharp forelegs.

No matter how much the big snake struggled, the mantis would not let go. Eventually, the big snake died.