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趁虚而入

趁虛而入
chènxūérrù
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to seize on weakness to attack
  2. 2 to exploit a gap
  3. 3 to take advantage of a lapse

Examples

敌人趁虚而入，攻占了城池。
Dírén chèn xū ér rù, gōng zhàn le chéngchí.
The enemy seized on the weakness and captured the city.
身体虚弱时，病毒容易趁虚而入。
Shēntǐ xūruò shí, bìngdú róngyì chèn xū ér rù.
When the body is weak, viruses easily take advantage.
竞争对手趁虚而入，抢走了我们的市场。
Jìngzhēng duìshǒu chèn xū ér rù, qiǎng zǒu le wǒmen de shìchǎng.
Competitors exploited our weakness and took our market share.

Tips

history
From the Daoist text 《云笈七签》. Military in origin, now used broadly — of illness, competitors, rumors, anything that exploits a moment of weakness.
usage
Compare with 乘虚而入 (chéngxūérrù) — same meaning, slightly more literary. Both are in common use.

Stroke Order

趁 chèn
虚 xū
而 ér
入 rù