避实就虚 Bì shí jiù xū Avoid the strong and attack the weak

Explanation

避实就虚，指避开敌人的主力，攻击敌人的薄弱之处。也指在谈话或写作中，回避主要问题，只谈一些无关紧要的事。

Avoiding the strong and attacking the weak refers to avoiding the enemy's main force and attacking the enemy's weak points. It also refers to avoiding the main issue in conversation or writing and only talking about some unimportant things.

Origin Story

春秋时期，晋国和楚国在城濮发生战争。晋军主帅晋文公，深知楚军实力强大，但他并没有与楚军主力硬碰硬，而是采取了避实就虚的策略。他先派兵佯攻楚军右翼，吸引楚军主力注意，然后集中兵力偷袭楚军左翼，取得了重大胜利。这场战役，充分体现了避实就虚的军事智慧，也成为后世兵家学习的经典案例。晋军之所以能取得成功，是因为他们准确地分析了战场形势，找到了楚军的弱点，并制定了相应的作战方案。这个故事告诉我们，在面临强大的对手时，不能盲目蛮干，要学会灵活变通，扬长避短，才能取得最终的胜利。

chūnqiū shíqī, jìn guó hé chǔ guó zài chéng pú fāshēng zhànzhēng. jìn jūn zhǔshuài jìn wén gōng, shēn zhī chǔ jūn shí lì qiángdà, dàn tā bìng méiyǒu yǔ chǔ jūn zhǔlì yìng pèng yìng, érshì cǎiqǔ le bì shí jiù xū de cèlüè. tā xiān pāi bīng yáng gōng chǔ jūn yòuyì, xīyǐn chǔ jūn zhǔlì zhùyì, ránhòu jízhōng bīnglì tōuxí chǔ jūn zuǒyì, qǔdé le zhòngdà shènglì. zhè chǎng zhànyì, chōngfèn tǐxiàn le bì shí jiù xū de jūnshì zhìhuì, yě chéngwéi hòushì bīngjiā xuéxí de jīngdiǎn ànlì. jìn jūn zhī suǒyǐ néng qǔdé chénggōng, shì yīnwèi tāmen zhǔnquè de fēnxī le zhànchǎng xíngshì, zhǎodào le chǔ jūn de ruòdiǎn, bìng zhìdìng le xiāngyìng de zuòzhàn fāng'àn. zhège gùshì gàosù wǒmen, zài miànlín qiángdà de duìshǒu shí, bù néng mángmù mángān, yào huìxué línghuó biàntōng, yáng cháng bì duǎn, cái néng qǔdé zuìzhōng de shènglì

During the Spring and Autumn Period, the states of Jin and Chu clashed in the Battle of Chengpu. Knowing the Chu army's strength, Jin's commander, Duke Wen of Jin, avoided a direct confrontation. Instead, he employed a strategy of 'avoiding the strong and attacking the weak'. He feigned an attack on the Chu army's right flank, drawing their main force's attention, then concentrated his troops to launch a surprise assault on their left flank, securing a decisive victory. This battle perfectly illustrates the military wisdom of this strategy and has become a classic case study in military tactics. The Jin army's success stemmed from their accurate assessment of the battlefield and their exploitation of Chu's weaknesses. This story teaches us that facing powerful opponents, blind aggression is ineffective. Flexibility, leveraging strengths and mitigating weaknesses, are crucial for ultimate victory.

Usage

这个成语可以用来形容在军事、竞争、辩论等场合中，避开强势对手，寻找对方弱点进行攻击的策略。也可以用来形容在处理问题时，回避主要矛盾，只处理一些枝节问题的做法。

zhège chéngyǔ kěyǐ yòng lái xíngróng zài jūnshì, jìngzhēng, biànlùn děng chǎnghé zhōng, bìkāi qiángshì duìshǒu, xúnzhǎo duìfāng ruòdiǎn jìnxíng gōngjī de cèlüè. yě kěyǐ yòng lái xíngróng zài chǔlǐ wèntí shí, huíbí zhǔyào máodùn, zhǐ chǔlǐ yīxiē zhījī wèntí de zuòfǎ

This idiom can be used to describe the strategy of avoiding strong opponents and finding their weaknesses to attack in military, competitive, and debate situations. It can also be used to describe the practice of avoiding the main contradictions and only dealing with some minor issues when dealing with problems.

Examples

• 面对强大的对手，我们应该避实就虚，选择薄弱环节进行攻击。

  miàn duì qiángdà de duìshǒu, wǒmen yīnggāi bìshíjiùxū, xuǎnzé bóruò huánjié jìnxíng gōngjī.

  When facing a strong opponent, we should avoid the strong points and attack the weak points.

• 在辩论中，他总是避实就虚，不敢正面对答。

  zài biànlùn zhōng, tā zǒngshì bìshíjiùxū, bù gǎn zhèngmiàn duìdá

  In the debate, he always avoids the key points and does not dare to answer directly

Related Idioms

• 声东击西

• 曲线救国

Opposite Idioms

• 硬碰硬

• 正面交锋