







姜太公钓鱼,愿者上钩 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “those who are willing will take the bait”. It describes setting a trap or offering a proposition in such a way that only those who are predisposed or eager to be persuaded will fall for it, implying their willingness to be taken advantage of. Literally, “Jiang Taigong fishes, those who are willing will be hooked”.
During the tyrannical reign of King Zhou of Shang, the common people suffered greatly. Jiang Shang, also known as Jiang Taigong, retreated to the banks of the Wei River.
He frequently went fishing there, but his method was highly unusual: he used a very short fishing rod, a line only three feet long, a straight hook, and no bait whatsoever. People often ridiculed him for this strange practice. He would calmly respond, 'Those who are willing will take the bait.'
Eventually, Ji Chang, who would later become King Wen of Zhou, came to invite him. Ji Chang recognized Jiang Taigong's wisdom and sought his assistance to overthrow the brutal rule of King Zhou and establish a new dynasty.

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Open the tool →姜太公钓鱼,愿者上钩 (jiāng tài gōng diào yú , yuàn zhě shàng gōu) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “those who are willing will take the bait”.
姜太公钓鱼,愿者上钩 is pronounced jiāng tài gōng diào yú , yuàn zhě shàng gōu in Mandarin Chinese.
Literally, 姜太公钓鱼,愿者上钩 means “Jiang Taigong fishes, those who are willing will be hooked”. It is used to mean “those who are willing will take the bait”.
姜太公钓鱼,愿者上钩 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
比喻心甘情愿地上当。