乘虚而入 — “To take advantage of a weak point or opening”
乘虚而入 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to take advantage of a weak point or opening”. To exploit a vulnerability. Literally, “To enter by taking advantage of a weakness”.
Frequency
乘虚而入 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 乘chéng
- 虚xū
- 而ér
- 入rù
乘虚而入 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 乘虚而入
小偷就是趁着家里没人，才乘虚而入偷走了贵重物品。
The thief took advantage of the empty house to break in and steal valuables.
Origin and Story of 乘虚而入
In 817 AD, Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty appointed Li Su, a general known for his wisdom and bravery, as the Jiedushi (military commissioner) of Tanghe and three other prefectures. His mission was to attack Wu Yuanji, the son of the rebellious Huai-Xi Jiedushi.
Li Su first won over several surrendered generals, including Ding Shiliang, Li You, and Li Zhongyi.
Then, seizing an opportune moment when the enemy was unprepared, he stealthily entered Caizhou, captured Wu Yuanji alive, and quelled the rebellion.
Idioms Related to 乘虚而入
Synonyms of 乘虚而入
More idioms starting with 乘
- chéng乘yún云xíng行ní泥vast disparity in status
- chéng乘rén人bù不bèi备take advantage of someone unprepared
- chéng乘rén人zhī之è厄take advantage of someone's misfortune
- chéng乘wěi伪xíng行zhà诈practice deception and fraud
- chéng乘xìng兴ér而lái来come on a whim
- chéng乘xìng兴ér而lái来，，bài败xìng兴ér而guī归come with joy, leave with sorrow
- chéng乘xìng兴ér而lái来，，bài败xìng兴ér而fǎn返come with enthusiasm, return disappointed
- chéng乘qí其bù不bèi备take advantage of unpreparedness
- chéng乘qí其bù不yì意catch someone off guard
- chéng乘lì利xí席shèng胜capitalize on a winning situation
- chéng乘shì势shǐ使qì气leverage power to show temper
Questions about 乘虚而入
- What does 乘虚而入 mean?
- 乘虚而入 (chéng xū ér rù) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to take advantage of a weak point or opening”.
- How do you pronounce 乘虚而入?
- 乘虚而入 is pronounced chéng xū ér rù in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 乘虚而入 literally mean?
- Literally, 乘虚而入 means “to enter by taking advantage of a weakness”. It is used to mean “to take advantage of a weak point or opening”.
- Where does 乘虚而入 come from?
- 乘虚而入 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 乘虚而入?
- 乘：趁。趁着虚弱疏漏的地方进入。