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顺水推船

順水推船
shùnshuǐtuīchuán
idiom

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

既然大家都同意，我就顺水推船批准了这个方案。
Jìrán dàjiā dōu tóngyì, wǒ jiù shùnshuǐtuīchuán pīzhǔn le zhège fāng'àn.
Since everyone agreed, I went with the flow and approved the plan.
他顺水推船地接受了那份工作。
Tā shùnshuǐtuīchuán de jiēshòu le nà fèn gōngzuò.
He took advantage of the situation and accepted the job.

Tips

usage
Used when someone seizes a favorable circumstance rather than fighting against it. Often pragmatic, sometimes mildly opportunistic in tone.
memory
Visualize pushing a boat downstream — the current does most of the work. 顺 (with the flow) + 水 (water) + 推船 (push boat).

Stroke Order

顺 shùn
水 shuǐ
推 tuī
船 chuán