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运筹帷幄 (yùn chóu-wéi wò) — (figurative) to mastermind plans from behind the scenes; to orchestrate and direct operations; (literal) to devise military strategy inside a command tent

Definition

A four-character idiom from military history: 'to plan strategy inside the command tent.' Today it is used figuratively to praise someone who masterminds operations from behind the scenes.

phrase
(figurative) to mastermind plans from behind the scenesto orchestrate and direct operations(literal) to devise military strategy inside a command tent

Examples

  • 运筹帷幄，。
    Tā zài zǒng bù yùn chóu-wéi wò, zhǐ huī zhe quán guó de shì chǎng huó dòng.
    He orchestrates strategies at headquarters and directs marketing campaigns across the country.
  • 运筹帷幄，。
    Méi yǒu tā zài hòu fāng yùn chóu-wéi wò, zhè ge xiàng mù bù kě néng àn shí wán chéng.
    Without his behind-the-scenes planning, this project could not have been completed on time.
  • 运筹帷幄，。
    Zhè wèi lǎo zǒng shàn yú yùn chóu-wéi wò, jué shèng qiān lǐ zhī wài.
    This CEO is skilled at planning strategies from the rear and winning far-away battles.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 運; 运 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòmotion
Sound part声符shēngfú
軍
軍jūn運yùn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 運 combines 辵, meaning motion, with 軍 to give the sound; the simplified 运 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 运 →

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 籌; 筹 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
壽
壽shòu籌chóu
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 籌 has 竹 (bamboo) on top and 壽 below as the sound part; the simplified 筹 is a later shorthand.

Open 筹 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 帷 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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