Sun Tzu 36 Stratagems

Sun Tzu 36 Stratagems

1.瞒天过海 (Mán tiān guò hǎi) - Deceive the heavens to cross the ocean.
2.围魏救赵 (Wéi Wèi jiù Zhào) - Besiege Wèi to rescue Zhào.
3.借刀杀人 (Jiè dāo shā rén) - Kill with a borrowed knife.
4.以逸待劳 (Yǐ yì dài láo) - Substitute leisure for labour.
5.趁火打劫 (Chèn huǒ dǎ jié) - Loot a burning house.
6.声东击西 (Shēng dōng jí xī) - Make a sound in the east, then strike in the west.
7.无中生有 (Wú zhōng shēng yǒu) - Create something from nothing.
8.暗渡陈仓 (Àn dù chén cāng) - Openly repair the gallery roads, but sneak through the passage of Chencang.
9.隔岸观火 (Gé àn guān huǒ) - Watch the fires burning across the river.
10.笑里藏刀 (Xiào lǐ cáng dāo) - Hide a knife behind a smile.
11.李代桃僵 (Lǐ dài táo jiāng) - Sacrifice the plum tree to preserve the peach tree.
12.顺手牵羊 (Shùn shǒu qiān yáng) - Take the opportunity to pilfer a goat.
13.打草惊蛇 (Dá cǎo jīng shé) - Startle the snake by hitting the grass around it.
14.借尸还魂 (Jiè shī huán hún) - Borrow a corpse to resurrect the soul.
15.调虎离山 (Diào hǔ lí shān) - Entice the tiger to leave its mountain lair.
16.欲擒故纵 (Yù qín gū zòng) - In order to capture, one must let loose.
17.抛砖引玉 (Pāo zhuān yǐn yù) - Tossing out a brick to get a jade gem.
18.擒贼擒王 (Qín zéi qín wáng) - Defeat the enemy by capturing their chief.
19.釜底抽薪 (Fǔ dǐ chōu xīn) - Remove the firewood under the cooking pot.
20.混水摸鱼 (Hún shuǐ mō yú) - Catch a fish while the water is disturbed.
21.金蝉脱壳 (Jīn chán tuō qiào) - Slough off the cicada's golden shell.
22.关门捉贼 (Guān mén zhōu zéi) - Shut the door to catch the thief.
23.远交近攻 (Yuǎn jiāo jìn gōng) - Befriend a distant state while attacking a neighbour.
24.假途伐虢 (Jiǎ dào fá Guó) - Obtain safe passage to conquer the State of Guo.
25.偷梁换柱 (Tōu liáng huàn zhù) - Replace the beams with rotten timbers.
26.指桑骂槐 (Zhǐ sāng mà huái) - Point at the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree.
27.假痴不癫 (Jiǎ chī bù diān) - Feign madness but keep your balance.
28.上屋抽梯 (Shàng wū chōu tī) - Remove the ladder when the enemy has ascended to the roof.
29.树上开花 (Shù shàng kāi huā) - Deck the tree with false blossoms.
30.反客为主 (Fǎn kè wéi zhǔ) - Make the host and the guest exchange roles.
31.美人计 (Měi rén jì) - The beauty trap (honey trap).
32.空城计 (Kōng chéng jì) - The empty fort strategy.
33.反间计 (Fǎn jiàn jì) - Let the enemy's own spy sow discord in the enemy camp.
34.苦肉计 (Kǔ ròu jì) - Inflict injury on one's self to win the enemy's trust.
35.连环计 (Lián huán jì) - Chain stratagems.
36.走为上计 (Zǒu wéi shàng jì) - If everything else fails, retreat.