暗渡陈仓 (àn dù Chén cāng) — to feign one thing while doing another; to act under cover of a diversion

Definition

A chengyu from a Han dynasty stratagem: secretly do X while openly doing Y as a cover. Used for deceptive tactics in business, politics, or military — not for small everyday lies.

verb
to feign one thing while doing anotherto act under cover of a diversion
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，暗渡陈仓。
    Tā biǎo miàn shàng zhī chí wǒ men, shí jì shang shì zài àn dù Chén cāng.
    He appears to support us, but in reality he is feigning one thing while doing another.
  • 暗渡陈仓，。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī yòng jiàng jià lái àn dù Chén cāng, qí shí shì zài zhuǎn yí kù cún.
    This company uses price cuts as a diversion to secretly move inventory.
  • ，暗渡陈仓。
    Jūn shì xíng dòng zhōng, àn dù Chén cāng shì yì zhǒng cháng jiàn de cè lüè.
    In military operations, feigning one thing while doing another is a common strategy.

Origin

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
日日rìsun
Sound part声符shēngfú
音
音yīn暗àn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

暗 pairs 日 (sun) with 音, which gives the sound.

Open 暗 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
度
度dù渡dù
Same sound today

渡 has 氵, water, beside 度, which gives the sound.

Open 渡 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 陳; 陈 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阜阜fùmound
Sound part声符shēngfú
東
東dōng陳chén
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 陳 pairs 阜 (mound) with 東 as a sound component.

Open 陈 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 倉; 仓 is its simplified writing.

仓 is explained through the traditional form 倉, which pairs 合 (gather) with 戶 (door) to show a warehouse.

Open 仓 →

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