顺手牵羊

順手牽羊

shùnshǒu-qiānyáng

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

HSK 4

他顺手牵羊，把商店里的一块糖放进了口袋。

Tā shùnshǒu-qiānyáng, 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.

HSK 7-9

趁大家不注意，他顺手牵羊拿走了钱包。

Chèn dàjiā bù zhùyì, tā shùnshǒu-qiānyáng názǒu 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