乘其不备 Seize the unguarded moment
Explanation
乘：趁。指暗中偷袭，出其不意地进攻，利用对方没有防备的时机，去攻击对方。
chéng: to take advantage of. It refers to secretly attacking, launching a surprise attack unexpectedly, taking advantage of the opportunity when the other party is not on guard to attack the other party.
Origin Story
话说三国时期，蜀国大将诸葛亮率兵攻打魏国，魏军防守薄弱，诸葛亮决定乘其不备，发动奇袭。他挑选了一支精锐部队，并亲自制定了作战计划。深夜，部队悄无声息地潜入魏军营地，魏军毫无察觉。蜀军迅速展开攻击，魏军措手不及，大败而逃。此战，蜀军大获全胜，诸葛亮凭借其卓越的军事才能和对战机的精准把握，再次展现出他神机妙算的军事才能。此次战役的成功，不仅巩固了蜀国的战略地位，更成为了后世兵家借鉴的经典战例，充分体现了“乘其不备”的战略意义。
During the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang, a great general of the Shu kingdom, led his troops to attack the Wei kingdom. The Wei army's defense was weak, so Zhuge Liang decided to launch a surprise attack. He selected an elite unit and personally formulated a battle plan. In the dead of night, the troops quietly infiltrated the Wei army camp, undetected. The Shu army swiftly launched an attack; the Wei army, caught off guard, was routed. In this battle, the Shu army achieved a great victory. Zhuge Liang, with his extraordinary military talent and accurate grasp of battle opportunities, once again demonstrated his brilliant military acumen. The success of this campaign not only consolidated the Shu kingdom's strategic position but also became a classic battle example for later military strategists, fully demonstrating the strategic significance of "taking advantage of their unguarded moment".
Usage
作宾语、定语、状语；多用于军事或竞争场合。
Used as an object, attributive, adverbial; mostly used in military or competitive situations.
Examples
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将军乘其不备，发动奇袭，取得了重大胜利。
jūnjūn chéng qí bù bèi, fādòng qí xí, qǔdéle zhòngdà shènglì
The general, seizing the unguarded moment, launched a surprise attack and won a decisive victory.
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敌人防守空虚，我们决定乘其不备，发起进攻。
dírén fángshǒu kōngxū, wǒmen juédìng chéng qí bù bèi, fāqǐ gōngjī
The enemy's defense was weak, so we decided to attack when they were off guard.