蚌鹬相持 — “A metaphor for two parties locked in a dispute”

蚌鹬相持 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a metaphor for two parties locked in a dispute”. Where both suffer losses, ultimately allowing a third party to gain an advantage or profit from their conflict. Literally, “clam and snipe in a standoff”.

Frequency

蚌鹬相持 Pronunciation and Pinyin

蚌鹬相持 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
蚌	bàng	10	freshwater mollusk or pearl
鹬	yù	17	sandpiper bird
相	xiāng	9	mutual or appearance
持	chí	9	hold, maintain, support

Example Sentence with 蚌鹬相持

那两家商店为了争夺顾客，价格战打得不可开交，结果引来了新的竞争者，真是蚌鹬相持，渔翁得利。

The two stores engaged in a fierce price war to win customers, which only attracted new competitors. It was truly a case of the clam and snipe in a standoff, where a third party benefited.

Origin and Story of 蚌鹬相持

During the Warring States period, the State of Zhao was preparing to attack the State of Yan. The King of Yan sent Su Dai to persuade the King of Zhao against war.

Su Dai told a story: A clam opened its shell to sunbathe on the riverbank, and a snipe came along and pecked at its flesh. The clam immediately clamped shut, trapping the snipe's beak. Neither the clam nor the snipe would give way. Eventually, a fisherman came by and easily captured both of them.

Su Dai then explained that if Zhao and Yan went to war, both would be weakened, and the powerful State of Qin would be like the fisherman, easily conquering both.

Hearing this, the King of Zhao abandoned his plan to attack Yan.