渔人之利 — “To profit from the conflict or struggle between two parties”
渔人之利 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to profit from the conflict or struggle between two parties”. To gain an advantage when others are disputing and both suffer losses, allowing a third party to benefit. Literally, “The fisherman's profit”.
渔人之利 Pronunciation and Pinyin
渔人之利 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 渔人之利
Origin and Story of 渔人之利
During the Warring States period, the State of Zhao was preparing to attack the State of Yan. King Yan sent Su Dai to Zhao to persuade King Zhao to stop the war.
Su Dai told him a story: A clam was sunning itself on the riverbank when a sandpiper came to peck at it. The clam clamped down on the sandpiper's long beak, and neither would yield. While they were locked in their struggle, a fisherman easily caught both of them.
Su Dai explained that if Yan and Zhao went to war, the State of Qin would be like the fisherman, swallowing both Yan and Zhao. King Zhao then abandoned his plans for war.
Idioms Related to 渔人之利
Synonyms of 渔人之利
More idioms starting with 渔
- yú渔rén人dé得lì利to profit from others' dispute
- yú渔duó夺qīn侵móu牟plunder and exploit
- yú渔hǎi海qiáo樵shān山live a reclusive life
- yú渔jīng经liè猎shǐ史widely read in classics and history
- yú渔wēng翁zhī之lì利a third party profits from others' contention
- yú渔yáng阳pí鞞gǔ鼓The alarm of a major rebellion
- yú渔yáng阳pí鼙gǔ鼓drums of war sounding, signaling imminent conflict
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Open the tool →Questions about 渔人之利
What does 渔人之利 mean?
渔人之利 (yú rén zhī lì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to profit from the conflict or struggle between two parties”.
How do you pronounce 渔人之利?
渔人之利 is pronounced yú rén zhī lì in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 渔人之利 literally mean?
Literally, 渔人之利 means “the fisherman's profit”. It is used to mean “to profit from the conflict or struggle between two parties”.
Where does 渔人之利 come from?
渔人之利 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 渔人之利?
渔人：比喻第三者。比喻双方争执不下，两败俱伤，让第三者占了便宜。