以柔克刚 (yǐ róu kè gāng) — to overcome hardness with softness; to use gentle means to defeat a strong force
Definition
A chengyu meaning to overcome a strong force through gentle, flexible means — not by meeting force with force. Common in strategy, martial arts, and negotiation contexts.
idiom
to overcome hardness with softnessto use gentle means to defeat a strong force
Examples
- 以柔克刚，。Tài jí quán jiǎng jiu yǐ róu kè gāng, yòng qiǎo jìn huà jiě duì shǒu de lì liàng.Tai chi emphasizes overcoming hardness with softness, using skilled force to neutralize an opponent's strength.
- ，以柔克刚，。Zài tán pàn zhōng, tā cǎi yòng yǐ róu kè gāng de cè lüè, zuì zhōng dá chéng le xié yì.In the negotiation, he adopted a strategy of using softness to overcome hardness and finally reached an agreement.
- ，以柔克刚，。Shuǐ suī rán róu ruǎn, dàn yǐ róu kè gāng, cháng nián lěi yuè yě néng dī chuān shí tou.Water may be soft, but it overcomes hardness with softness — over years it can drip through stone.
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