旁敲侧击

旁敲側擊
pángqiāocèjī
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to hint at obliquely
  2. 2 to probe indirectly
  3. 3 to approach a subject from the side

Examples

Tā méiyǒu zhíjiē wèn, zhǐshì pángqiāocèjī.
She didn't ask directly — she hinted at it from the side.
Jìzhě pángqiāocèjī, shìtú tàochū zhēnxiàng.
The reporter asked around indirectly, trying to draw out the truth.

Tips

usage
Describes circuitous questioning, not direct confrontation. Often used when the direct approach would be rude, unsafe, or unproductive.

Stroke Order

páng
qiāo