📖 Meaning
A vulnerability or opening that can be exploited by an opponent. It refers to a weakness, loophole, or gap in defenses that others may seize upon to their advantage.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from 'Jilei Ji' (鸡肋集), a work by the Song Dynasty scholar Chao Buzhi (晁补之). The original passage observes that at that time there were exploitable gaps among various forces, yet the central kingdom of China could not be conquered. The phrase later became a general expression for any weakness or opening an adversary might take advantage of. It is famously cited in Luo Guanzhong's Ming Dynasty novel 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms', where it describes a strategic opportunity to seize Xuzhou.
💡 Example Usage
敌军换防之际，正是我军可乘之隙。
The moment the enemy troops rotate their garrison is exactly the exploitable gap for our army.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 可乘之隙
- Pinyin: kě chéng zhī xì
- Literal Translation: can, exploit, of, gap
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4