圍魏救趙

Chinese

		to circle; to surround	surname; name of a dynasty	to save; to assist; to rescue	surname
trad. (圍魏救趙)		圍	魏	救	趙
simp. (围魏救赵)		围	魏	救	赵
Literally: “to besiege the State of Wei to rescue the State of Zhao”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): wéiwèijiùzhào

  (Zhuyin): ㄨㄟˊ ㄨㄟˋ ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄓㄠˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): wai⁴ ngai⁶ gau³ ziu⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)
    • Hanyu Pinyin: wéiwèijiùzhào
    • Zhuyin: ㄨㄟˊ ㄨㄟˋ ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄓㄠˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: wéiwèijiòujhào
    • Wade–Giles: wei²-wei⁴-chiu⁴-chao⁴
    • Yale: wéi-wèi-jyòu-jàu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: weiweyjiowjaw
    • Palladius: вэйвэйцзючжао (vɛjvɛjczjučžao)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /weɪ̯³⁵ weɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: wai⁴ ngai⁶ gau³ ziu⁶
    • Yale: wàih ngaih gau jiuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: wai⁴ ngai⁶ gau³ dziu⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: wei⁴ ngei⁶ geo³ jiu⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /wɐi̯²¹ ŋɐi̯²² kɐu̯³³ t͡siːu̯²²/

Idiom

圍魏救趙

1. (figurative) to relieve a besieged ally by attacking the home base of the besiegers