📖 Meaning
The idiom describes bending only one chi (a small measure) while extending a full xun (eight chi). It means accepting a small compromise or loss in order to gain a much larger advantage. It is used to advocate strategic concessions for greater long-term benefit.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase comes from the Mengzi (《孟子·滕文公下》), dating to the Warring States period. In the dialogue, Mencius discusses whether a slight compromise in principle might be acceptable if it leads to a greater good, framing it as 'bending a foot to straighten eight.' The original line is 枉尺而直寻，宜若可为也, suggesting that such a trade-off might seem worth doing. Commentators read it as Mencius's interlocutor arguing for flexible, pragmatic action, against which Mencius warns against compromising righteousness at all.
💡 Example Usage
谈判中不妨枉尺直寻，先在次要条款上让步，以换取核心利益。
In negotiations, one may make a small concession on minor terms in order to secure the core interests at stake.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 枉尺直寻
- Pinyin: wǎng chǐ zhí xún
- Literal Translation: bend a foot, straighten eight feet
- Category: Wisdom
- Characters: 4