乘虚而入

乘虛而入

chéngxū'érrù

idiom #30,320

Meanings

1 to exploit a weakness and move in
2 to take advantage of an opening
3 to strike when the opponent is unguarded

Characters

to take advantage of

Examples

球队防守一松懈，对方立刻乘虚而入。

Qiúduì fángshǒu yī sōngxiè, duìfāng lìkè chéngxū'érrù.

The moment the team's defense slackened, the opponents seized the opening.

心情低落时，负面情绪最容易乘虚而入。

Xīnqíng dīluò shí, fùmiàn qíngxù zuì róngyì chéngxū'érrù.

When you're down, negative emotions find it easiest to sneak in.

竞争对手乘虚而入，抢占了我们的市场。

Jìngzhēng duìshǒu chéngxū'érrù, qiǎngzhànle wǒmen de shìchǎng.

Competitors exploited the gap and seized our market share.

Tips

history

From the Song Taoist encyclopedia 《云笈七签》 by Zhang Junfang: "自后垣乘虚而入，径及庭中" — he entered through an unguarded rear wall and went straight to the courtyard. The phrase moved from military/stealth contexts into business and emotional metaphors.

usage

Common in military, sports, business, and health writing (e.g. 病毒乘虚而入 — viruses exploit a weakened immune system). Often paired with a cause: 一疏忽, 防守松懈, 免疫力下降.

Stroke Order

乘 chéng

虚 xū

而 ér

入 rù