先发制人
- Literal
- launching first, controlling others
- Figurative
- To act before the other side does and seize the initiative, putting them on the defensive, whether in an argument, in business, or in open conflict.
Where does 先发制人 come from?
It comes from the 《汉书》, in the biography of Xiang Yu. When revolts broke out at the end of the Qin dynasty, the governor of Kuaiji summoned Xiang Liang, Xiang Yu's uncle. Xiang Liang told him the whole region west of the Yangtze had risen, that this was Heaven's hour to finish off Qin, and added: "Whoever moves first controls others; whoever moves later is controlled by them." And it was he who moved first: he had his nephew kill the governor and took over the commandery. In the 《史记》 the governor says it, in different words. Today it means seizing the initiative and striking first.
Source (出处): 《汉书·项籍传》
How is 先发制人 used? Two examples
- 每次吵架，他都先发制人，一开口就把责任推给别人。
Every time we argue, he gets in first: the moment he opens his mouth, he shifts the blame onto someone else.
- 看到对手要降价，公司先发制人，提前推出了优惠活动。
Seeing that its rival was about to cut prices, the company struck first and launched a promotion ahead of time.
In Wanyu, all 400 chengyu have audio on every sentence, and you can save them to your decks and review them with spaced repetition. Free.
