唱筹量沙 — “Chant tallies, measure sand”
唱筹量沙 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to create a false impression or make a show of strength to deceive an enemy and stabilize morale, especially when resources are scarce”. Literally, “Chant tallies, measure sand”.
唱筹量沙 Pronunciation and Pinyin
唱筹量沙 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 唱筹量沙
Origin and Story of 唱筹量沙
During the Yuanjia reign (424-453 AD) of Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty (Southern Dynasties), General Tan Daoji led a northern expedition against Northern Wei.
His forces advanced deep into enemy territory, and their provisions began to run low. Northern Wei reinforcements received intelligence from a surrendered soldier that the Song troops were out of food, so they sent scouts to investigate the Song camp under the cover of night.
To counter this, Tan Daoji shrewdly ordered his soldiers to use sand instead of rice, and loudly chant numbers as they pretended to measure it, thereby creating a false impression of abundant supplies.
This clever ruse successfully misled the Wei spies, allowing the Song army to withdraw safely back to their territory.
Idioms Related to 唱筹量沙
Synonyms of 唱筹量沙
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Open the tool →Questions about 唱筹量沙
What does 唱筹量沙 mean?
唱筹量沙 (chàng chóu liáng shā) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to create a false impression or make a show of strength to deceive an enemy and stabilize morale, especially when resources are scarce”.
How do you pronounce 唱筹量沙?
唱筹量沙 is pronounced chàng chóu liáng shā in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 唱筹量沙 literally mean?
Literally, 唱筹量沙 means “Chant tallies, measure sand”. It is used to mean “to create a false impression or make a show of strength to deceive an enemy and stabilize morale, especially when resources are scarce”.
Where does 唱筹量沙 come from?
唱筹量沙 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 唱筹量沙?
把沙当做米，量时高呼数字。比喻安定军心，制造假象来迷惑敌人。