Sun Tzu Quotes: 40+ Strategic Sayings

Zhī jǐ zhī bǐ, bǎi zhàn bù dài

"Know yourself and know your enemy; in a hundred battles you will never be in danger"

Bīng zhě, guǐ dào yě

"War is a path of deception"

Bù zhàn ér qū rén zhī bīng, shàn zhī shàn zhě yě

"To subdue the enemy's troops without fighting is the highest of the high"

Qí jí rú fēng, qí xú rú lín

"Be swift like the wind, slow like the forest"

Gōng xīn wéi shàng, gōng chéng wéi xià

"Attacking the heart is best; attacking the city is worst"

Shēng dōng jī xī

"Make a sound in the east, strike in the west"

Jiāo bīng bì bài

"An arrogant army will inevitably be defeated"

Jiàng zài wài, jūn mìng yǒu suǒ bù shòu

"When the general is abroad, there are some sovereign commands he need not accept"

Kōng chéng jì

"The strategy of the empty city"

Dǎ cǎo jīng shé

"Beat the grass and startle the snake"

Zhī jǐ zhī bǐ, bǎi zhàn bù dài

"Know yourself and know your enemy; in a hundred battles you will never be in danger"

Gōng xīn wéi shàng, gōng chéng wéi xià

"Attacking the heart is best; attacking the city is worst"

Shēng dōng jī xī

"Make a sound in the east, strike in the west"

Jiāo bīng bì bài

"An arrogant army will inevitably be defeated"

Jiàng zài wài, jūn mìng yǒu suǒ bù shòu

"When the general is abroad, there are some sovereign commands he need not accept"

Shī chū yǒu míng

"Military action must have a justifiable reason"

Bīng zhě, guǐ dào yě

"War is a path of deception"

Bù zhàn ér qū rén zhī bīng, shàn zhī shàn zhě yě

"To subdue the enemy's troops without fighting is the highest of the high"

Qí jí rú fēng, qí xú rú lín

"Be swift like the wind, slow like the forest"

Dǎ cǎo jīng shé

"Beat the grass and startle the snake"

Kōng chéng jì

"The strategy of the empty city"

Yù qín gù zòng

"Want to catch, therefore release"

Qín zéi xiān qín wáng

"To catch thieves, first catch the king"

Yī zhāo bù shèn, mǎn pán jiē shū

"One careless move loses the entire game"

Yī fū dāng guān, wàn fū mò kāi

"One man guards the pass, ten thousand cannot break through"

Fáng huàn yú wèi rán

"Prevent disaster before it occurs"

Shāng qí shí zhǐ, bùrú duàn qí yī zhǐ

"Hurting ten of their fingers is not as good as breaking one of their fingers"

Dǎ shé dǎ qī cùn

"When hitting a snake, hit it at seven inches"

Tángláng bǔ chán, huángquè zài hòu

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind"

Rén wú yuǎn lǜ, bì yǒu jìn yōu

"A person without long-term concerns will surely have near worries"

Tiānshí bùrú dìlì, dìlì bùrú rénhé

"Heaven's timing is not as good as earth's advantage; earth's advantage is not as good as human harmony"

Xiān xià shǒu wéi qiáng

"The one who strikes first gains the advantage"

Jiàng zài móu ér bù zài yǒng, bīng zài jīng ér bù zài duō

"A general's strength lies in strategy, not bravery; soldiers should be elite, not numerous"

Qiāng dǎ chū tóu niǎo

"The gun shoots the bird that sticks its head out"

chī yī qiàn, zhǎng yī zhì

"Fall into a moat, grow in wisdom"

Léi shēng dà, yǔ diǎn xiǎo

"The thunder is loud, but the raindrops are small"

Péi le fū rén yòu zhé bīng

"Double defeat—losing everything in a failed scheme"

Rén qíng sì zhǐ zhāng zhāng bó, shì shì rú qí jú jú xīn

"Human feelings are like paper—each sheet thin; worldly affairs are like chess—each game new"

Féng rén zhǐ shuō sān fēn huà

"When meeting people, speak only thirty percent of your thoughts"

guāng jiǎo de bù pà chuān xié de

"Those with nothing to lose fear nothing"

Wú kě fèng gào

"No comment / Nothing to report"

Dé ráo rén chù qiě ráo rén

"Where you can spare others, do spare them"

Shì yǐ mì chéng, yǔ yǐ xiè bài

"Plans succeed through secrecy, fail through leaks"