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欲擒故縱

简欲擒故纵 · 繁欲擒故縱

Mandarin · pinyin yù qín gù zòng

In order to capture, one must let loose.
to loosen the reins only to grasp them better

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Characters in this entry

欲: yù · desire, want, long for; intend
擒: qín · catch, capture, seize, arrest
故: gù · ancient, old; reason, because
縱: Look up this written character
纵: zòng · indulge in, give free reign to

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–2–4–4 · yu4 qin2 gu4 zong4

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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.

欲擒故縱 · find source passages ↗ · 欲擒故纵 · find source passages ↗

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to loosen the reins in order to grasp them better

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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