DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT
以柔克剛
简 以柔克刚 · 繁 以柔克剛Mandarin · pinyin yǐ róu kè gāng
Meanings
- to use softness to conquer strength (idiom)
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Mandarin tones
3–2–4–1 · yi3 rou2 ke4 gang1
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
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Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.Read this spelling in Classical texts
Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.
以柔克剛 · find source passages ↗ · 以柔克刚 · find source passages ↗