顺手牵羊

順手牽羊

shùnshǒuqiānyáng

idiom #21,382

Meanings

1 to steal something opportunistically
2 to take advantage of an opportunity to pilfer
3 to pocket something while no one is looking

Characters

to go along with / smooth / in passing

to lead / to pull along

Examples

他顺手牵羊，把商店里的一块糖放进了口袋。

Tā shùnshǒu qiān yáng, bǎ shāngdiàn lǐ de yī kuài táng fàng jìn le kǒudài.

He pocketed a piece of candy from the shop while no one was looking.

趁大家不注意，他顺手牵羊拿走了钱包。

Chèn dàjiā bù zhùyì, tā shùnshǒu qiān yáng ná zǒu le qiánbāo.

While everyone was distracted, he opportunistically took the wallet.

Tips

history

顺手牵羊 is Stratagem No. 12 of the 36 Stratagems (三十六计), a collection of Chinese military and political tactics. It advises: when an opportunity presents itself, seize it without hesitation — even a small gain is worthwhile. Literally 'to lead away a sheep that crosses your path'.

memory

Picture a shepherd walking past a stray sheep and casually taking it along — not a planned theft, just seizing an easy opportunity. That's 顺手牵羊: effortless, opportunistic pilfering.

Stroke Order

顺 shùn

手 shǒu

牵 qiān

羊 yáng