先声夺人

先聲奪人

xiānshēng-duórén

idiom #51,598

Meanings

1 to overwhelm the opponent by striking first
2 to seize the initiative with a show of force
3 to win the psychological upper hand

Characters

person / opponent

Examples

HSK 4

比赛一开始，我方就先声夺人，连进两球。

Bǐsài yī kāishǐ, wǒfāng jiù xiānshēng-duórén, lián jìn liǎng qiú.

At the start of the match, our side seized the initiative and scored two quick goals.

HSK 6

广告先声夺人，产品还没上市就已经引起关注。

Guǎnggào xiānshēng-duórén, chǎnpǐn hái méi shàngshì jiù yǐjīng yǐnqǐ guānzhù.

The ad campaign struck first - the product drew attention before it was even on sale.

HSK 7-9

他靠一篇犀利的开场白先声夺人。

Tā kào yī piān xīlì de kāichǎngbái xiānshēng-duórén.

He took the psychological lead with a sharp opening statement.

Tips

history

From 《左传·宣公十二年》: 先人有夺人之心 - 'to go first is to rob the opponent of their resolve.' Describes the classical principle of seizing initiative in war, later extended to debates, sports, marketing.

Stroke Order

先 xiān

声 shēng

夺 duó

人 rén