鼎足而立 — “To stand in a tripartite confrontation or balance”

鼎足而立 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to stand in a tripartite confrontation or balance”. With three parties or forces in a state of equal power or contention. Literally, “stand like the legs of a tripod”.

Frequency

鼎足而立 Pronunciation and Pinyin

鼎足而立 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
鼎	dǐng	13	ancient tripod cauldron
足	zú	7	foot, sufficient, full
而	ér	6	and, but, then
立	lì	5	stand, establish, immediately

Example Sentence with 鼎足而立

在这次商业谈判中，三家大型企业势均力敌，形成了鼎足而立的局面，任何一方都难以轻易占据上风。

In this business negotiation, three large corporations were evenly matched, forming a tripartite balance where no single party could easily gain the upper hand.

Origin and Story of 鼎足而立

In 203 BC, Han Xin, a distinguished general of the Han Dynasty, conquered the State of Qi and was subsequently enfeoffed as the King of Qi by Liu Bang.

Han Xin's advisor, Kuai Tong, carefully analyzed the prevailing political climate and concluded that Han Xin was a figure of immense importance. He urged Han Xin not to remain subservient to Liu Bang but to establish himself as an independent sovereign, thereby creating a tripartite division of power among Chu, Han, and himself. Kuai Tong cautioned that if Han Xin continued to serve Liu Bang, his ultimate fate would likely be that of a mere vassal.

However, Han Xin disregarded Kuai Tong's insightful advice and, regrettably, was later lured into a trap and assassinated by Empress Lü.