孙庞斗智 — “Sun and Pang contend with wits”
孙庞斗智 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a fierce contest of wits and strategies between two rivals, often former friends turned enemies; a battle of ingenuity or cunning between two parties”. Literally, “Sun and Pang contend with wits”.
孙庞斗智 Pronunciation and Pinyin
孙庞斗智 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 孙庞斗智
Origin and Story of 孙庞斗智
After Sun Bin and Pang Juan studied military strategies under Guiguzi, Pang Juan left his master and became a senior general in the State of Wei. Zhai recommended Sun Bin to King Hui of Wei.
Pang Juan, out of jealousy, framed Sun Bin for colluding with the State of Qi. He cruelly subjected Sun Bin to amputation (cutting off his kneecaps) and tattooing (branding his face), then tricked him into transcribing the thirteen chapters of "Sunzi's Art of War," intending to kill him once the task was complete.
However, a servant of Pang Juan secretly informed Sun Bin. Sun Bin feigned madness, catching Pang Juan off guard. Later, with the help of a minister from the State of Qi, he escaped from Wei.
Upon arriving in Qi, Sun Bin was appointed military advisor. He twice used the strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao," defeating the Wei army led by Pang Juan at Guiling. The second time, Sun Bin employed the "decreasing cooking stoves" strategy, luring Pang Juan into Maling Road, where he was killed by a barrage of arrows.
Idioms Related to 孙庞斗智
Synonyms of 孙庞斗智
Antonyms of 孙庞斗智
More idioms starting with 孙
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Open the tool →Questions about 孙庞斗智
What does 孙庞斗智 mean?
孙庞斗智 (sūn páng dòu zhì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a fierce contest of wits and strategies between two rivals, often former friends turned enemies; a battle of ingenuity or cunning between two parties”.
How do you pronounce 孙庞斗智?
孙庞斗智 is pronounced sūn páng dòu zhì in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 孙庞斗智 literally mean?
Literally, 孙庞斗智 means “Sun and Pang contend with wits”. It is used to mean “a fierce contest of wits and strategies between two rivals, often former friends turned enemies; a battle of ingenuity or cunning between two parties”.
Where does 孙庞斗智 come from?
孙庞斗智 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 孙庞斗智?
孙：孙膑；庞：庞涓。孙膑、庞涓各以智谋争斗。比喻昔日友人今为仇敌，各逞计谋生死搏斗。也比喻双方用计较量高下。