明修棧道，暗渡陳倉

Chinese
 
clear; bright; to understand
clear; bright; to understand; next; the Ming dynasty
 
to decorate; to embellish; to repair
to decorate; to embellish; to repair; to build; to study; to write; to cultivate
 plank road built on wooden brackets fixed onto the face of a cliff
 
dark; gloomy; hidden
dark; gloomy; hidden; secret
 to cross; to pass through; to ferry Chencang
trad. (明修棧道，暗渡陳倉) 明 修 棧道 ， 暗 渡 陳倉
simp. (明修栈道，暗渡陈仓) 明 修 栈道 ， 暗 渡 陈仓
alternative forms 明修棧道，暗度陳倉／明修栈道，暗度陈仓
Literally: “repair the plank road openly while secretly crossing [the Wei River] at Chencang”.

Etymology

Referring to a stratagem used by Liu Bang in 206 BC against Xiang Yu of Chu.

Pronunciation

  • Mandarin
    (Pinyin): míngxiūzhàndào, àndùchéncāng
    (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄡ ㄓㄢˋ ㄉㄠˋ , ㄢˋ ㄉㄨˋ ㄔㄣˊ ㄘㄤ
  • Cantonese (Jyutping): ming4 sau1 zaan6 dou6, am3 dou6 can4 cong1
  • Mandarin
    • (Standard Chinese)+
      • Hanyu Pinyin: míngxiūzhàndào, àndùchéncāng
      • Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄡ ㄓㄢˋ ㄉㄠˋ , ㄢˋ ㄉㄨˋ ㄔㄣˊ ㄘㄤ
      • Tongyong Pinyin: míngsioujhàndào, àndùchéncang
      • Wade–Giles: ming2-hsiu1-chan4-tao4, an4-tu4-chʻên2-tsʻang1
      • Yale: míng-syōu-jàn-dàu-, àn-dù-chén-tsāng
      • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mingshioujanndaw, annduhcherntsang
      • Palladius: минсючжаньдао, аньдучэньцан (minsjučžanʹdao, anʹdučɛnʹcan)
      • Sinological IPA (key): /miŋ³⁵ ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹⁻⁵³ tɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ˀän⁵¹⁻⁵³ tu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰən³⁵ t͡sʰɑŋ⁵⁵/
  • Cantonese

Idiom

明修棧道，暗渡陳倉

  1. to feign one thing while doing something else; to divert someone's attention towards something while secretly doing something else to achieve one's goal
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