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顺水推舟

順水推舟
shùnshuǐtuīzhōu
idiom #34,025

Meanings

  1. 1 to push the boat along with the current
  2. 2 to take advantage of the situation
  3. 3 to go with the flow

Examples

他既然提议了，我就顺水推舟答应了。
Tā jìrán tíyì le, wǒ jiù shùnshuǐtuīzhōu dāyìng le.
Since he brought it up, I went with it and agreed.
对方主动让步，我们顺水推舟拿下了合同。
Duìfāng zhǔdòng ràngbù, wǒmen shùnshuǐtuīzhōu náxià le hétóng.
They made a concession, so we rode the current and closed the deal.

Tips

history
From Guan Hanqing's Yuan drama 《窦娥冤》 act 3, in the variant 顺水推船. The idea: steer with the current instead of against it.
usage
Usually positive — shows tactical sense, not laziness. Compare with 随波逐流 (drifting with the waves), which is passive and critical.

Stroke Order

顺 shùn
水 shuǐ
推 tuī
舟 zhōu