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避实就虚

避實就虛
bìshíjiùxū
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to avoid the strong points and attack the weak
  2. 2 to dodge the substantive and stick to the superficial
  3. 3 to evade the heart of an issue

Examples

兵法讲究避实就虚，攻其不备。
Bīngfǎ jiǎngjiu bìshíjiùxū, gōng qí bù bèi.
The art of war emphasizes avoiding the enemy's strength, attacking weak points, and striking when they are unprepared.
他回答问题时总是避实就虚。
Tā huídá wèntí shí zǒng shì bìshíjiùxū.
He always dodges the substance when answering questions.

Tips

history
Originates from Sunzi's 《孙子兵法 · 虚实篇》: '兵之形，避实而击虚' — military strategy avoids the enemy's solid points and strikes their hollow ones.
usage
Two flavors: praise in military/strategic contexts (smart tactics), or criticism in everyday speech (someone is being evasive). Tone tells you which.

Stroke Order

避 bì
实 shí
就 jiù
虚 xū