顺手牵羊 — “To lead away a sheep while passing by”
顺手牵羊 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to seize an opportunity to take something conveniently and often illicitly; to make off with something opportunistically, often referring to petty theft”. Literally, “To lead away a sheep while passing by”.
顺手牵羊 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 顺shùn
- 手shǒu
- 牵qiān
- 羊yáng
顺手牵羊 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 顺手牵羊
Origin and Story of 顺手牵羊
Under the leadership of Song Jiang, the heroes of Mount Liang defeated the Liao invasion and were then ordered to suppress the Tian Hu rebellion in Hebei.
During the suppression campaign, Tian Hu's general Ma Ling, who practiced sorcery, was defeated by Gongsun Sheng. Ma Ling fled like a bird, and even Dai Zong, with his magical speed, couldn't catch him.
Just then, the Flower Monk Lu Zhishen happened upon him. With a single strike of his monk's staff, he knocked Ma Ling down, and conveniently tied him up, handing him over to Dai Zong for custody.
Idioms Related to 顺手牵羊
Synonyms of 顺手牵羊
More idioms starting with 顺
- shùn顺zhī之zhě者xīng兴，，nì逆zhī之zhě者wáng亡Follow to prosper, resist to perish
- shùn顺zhī之zhě者chéng成，，nì逆zhī之zhě者bài败Align with circumstances for success, defy for failure
- shùn顺zhī之zhě者chāng昌，，nì逆zhī之zhě者wáng亡Comply and prosper, resist and perish
- shùn顺rén人yìng应tiān天comply with human wishes and heaven's will
- shùn顺rén人zhě者chāng昌，，nì逆rén人zhě者wáng亡Align with people to prosper, defy them to perish
- shùn顺cóng从qí其měi美follow the natural course to promote goodness
- shùn顺qí其zì自rán然let nature take its course
- shùn顺kǒu口kāi开hé河speak thoughtlessly and irresponsibly
- shùn顺kǒu口liū溜easy-to-chant rhyming jingle
- shùn顺kǒu口tán谈tiān天chat casually and spontaneously
- shùn顺tiān天cóng从rén人Align with divine will and human sentiment
- shùn顺tiān天yìng应rén人Align with natural principles and popular will
Questions about 顺手牵羊
- What does 顺手牵羊 mean?
- 顺手牵羊 (shùn shǒu qiān yáng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to seize an opportunity to take something conveniently and often illicitly; to make off with something opportunistically, often referring to petty theft”.
- How do you pronounce 顺手牵羊?
- 顺手牵羊 is pronounced shùn shǒu qiān yáng in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 顺手牵羊 literally mean?
- Literally, 顺手牵羊 means “to lead away a sheep while passing by”. It is used to mean “to seize an opportunity to take something conveniently and often illicitly; to make off with something opportunistically, often referring to petty theft”.
- Where does 顺手牵羊 come from?
- 顺手牵羊 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 顺手牵羊?
- 顺手把人家的羊牵走。比喻趁势将敌手捉住或乘机利用别人。现比喻乘机拿走别人的东西。