将计就计

將計就計

jiāngjìjiùjì

idiom

Meanings

1 to turn someone's trick against them
2 to beat someone at their own game

Characters

Examples

他决定将计就计，反过来利用对方。

Tā juédìng jiāng jì jiù jì, fǎnguòlái lìyòng duìfāng.

He decided to turn their plan against them.

既然他们想骗我们，我们就将计就计。

Jìrán tāmen xiǎng piàn wǒmen, wǒmen jiù jiāng jì jiù jì.

Since they want to trick us, let's beat them at their own game.

诸葛亮将计就计，大败曹军。

Zhūgě Liàng jiāng jì jiù jì, dà bài Cáo jūn.

Zhuge Liang turned the trick back on them and crushed Cao's army.

Tips

history

Attested in Li Wenwei's Yuan-dynasty zaju 《张子房圮桥进履》. A recurring tactic in 《三国演义》 (Romance of the Three Kingdoms), especially attributed to Zhuge Liang.

memory

Literally 'take (将) the plan (计) and follow through with (就) the plan (计)' — you adopt the enemy's scheme as your own and weaponize it back.

Stroke Order

将 jiāng

计 jì

就 jiù