减灶之计 — “Strategy of reducing cooking stoves”
减灶之计 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a strategy of reducing the number of cooking stoves in a camp each day to mislead an enemy into believing one's forces are dwindling, thereby encouraging a reckless pursuit; a ruse to feign weakness and lure an opponent”. Literally, “Strategy of reducing cooking stoves”.
减灶之计 Pronunciation and Pinyin
减灶之计 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 减灶之计
Origin and Story of 减灶之计
During the Warring States period, the state of Han, under attack from the state of Wei, sought assistance from Qi. The King of Qi dispatched Tian Ji as general and Sun Bin as military advisor, leading an army to attack Daliang, the capital of Wei.
Wei's commander-in-chief, Pang Juan, hurriedly withdrew his troops to rescue it. Upon learning that his elder martial brother Pang Juan was retreating, Sun Bin advised Tian Ji to use the "reduce stoves strategy" to deceive the Wei army.
Pang Juan, arrogant and underestimating his enemy, fell into Sun Bin's encirclement and was forced to commit suicide.
Idioms Related to 减灶之计
More idioms starting with 减
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Open the tool →Questions about 减灶之计
What does 减灶之计 mean?
减灶之计 (jiǎn zào zhī jì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a strategy of reducing the number of cooking stoves in a camp each day to mislead an enemy into believing one's forces are dwindling, thereby encouraging a reckless pursuit; a ruse to feign weakness and lure an opponent”.
How do you pronounce 减灶之计?
减灶之计 is pronounced jiǎn zào zhī jì in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 减灶之计 literally mean?
Literally, 减灶之计 means “Strategy of reducing cooking stoves”. It is used to mean “a strategy of reducing the number of cooking stoves in a camp each day to mislead an enemy into believing one's forces are dwindling, thereby encouraging a reckless pursuit; a ruse to feign weakness and lure an opponent”.
Where does 减灶之计 come from?
减灶之计 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 减灶之计?
在战争中隐瞒自己军队的实力来麻痹敌人