sin1 lai5 hau6 bing1先禮後兵先礼后兵
Definition
To try peaceful or polite means before resorting to force or tougher tactics.
How it's used
This idiom describes a strategic approach where one initiates a conflict or negotiation with politeness and reason to maintain a moral high ground. It is frequently used in business or interpersonal disputes to signal that while you prefer a peaceful resolution, you are prepared to take firm action if the other party remains unreasonable. It is not necessarily about physical violence, but rather about shifting from a soft, cooperative stance to a hard, confrontational one.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a simple sequence of events, but it specifically implies a calculated change in attitude or tactics. It is not used to describe a random change of heart, but rather a deliberate escalation of pressure.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
