激将法 (jī jiàng fǎ) — goading tactic; method of provoking someone into action by challenging their pride or honor

Definition

A tactic of provoking someone into action by challenging their pride — pushing them so they feel compelled to prove you wrong, rather than directly asking.

noun
goading tacticmethod of provoking someone into action by challenging their pride or honor

Examples

  • 激将法，。
    Tā zhè ge jī jiàng fǎ hěn yǒu xiào, duì fāng guǒ rán dā ying le.
    His goading tactic was very effective; the other party indeed agreed.
  • ，激将法。
    Duì zhè zhǒng rén bù néng zhí jiē quàn, zhǐ néng yòng jī jiàng fǎ.
    You can't directly advise this kind of person; you have to use reverse psychology.
  • 激将法。
    Sān guó yǎn yì lǐ zhū gě liàng duō cì shǐ yòng jī jiàng fǎ.
    In 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms', Zhuge Liang used goading tactics many times.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

激将provoke a general
激jīprovoke将jiānggeneral
动宾Verb + object
法fǎmethod

激 means provoke and 将 means general; with 法 meaning method, it names a goading tactic.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
敫
敫jiǎo激jī
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 激, the 氵 side marks water, and 敫 gives the sound jiǎo; the original sense is water swashing.

Open 激 →

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 將; 将 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺼Written in full as肉ròumeat
寸寸cùnhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
爿
爿pán將jiāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 將 combines 爿, which also supplies a sound and may show a small table, with ⺼ (meat) and 寸 (hand) to picture offering meat as tribute. The simplified 将 is a later shorthand.

Open 将 →

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
廌廌zhìa type of antelope or caprid
Sound part声符shēngfú
盍
盍hé法fǎ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

法's older form combined 氵 (water) and 廌 (a type of antelope or caprid), with 盍 as a sound part; later 廌 was dropped.

Open 法 →

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