📖 Meaning
To harness and command the clouds and mist. Metaphorically, it means to masterly grasp military strategy and the right moment to act. It is a variant of the idiom 握雾拏云.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from Act One of the Yuan dynasty zaju play 'Cun Li Da Hu' (The Tiger-Fighting Li Cunxiao) by the playwright Chen Yiren. In the text, a commander is praised: 'Your dragon-tiger strategy others cannot match; grasping clouds and mist you deploy military tactics, arranging troops and formations with brilliance.' The imagery of handling clouds and mist symbolizes a general's supreme command over warfare and battlefield opportunity.
💡 Example Usage
将军握云拿雾，指挥若定，敌军望风而溃。
The general, masterly grasping the clouds and mist of warfare, commanded with calm assurance, and the enemy fled at the mere sight of his banner.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 握云拿雾
- Pinyin: wò yún ná wù
- Literal Translation: grasp, cloud, seize, fog
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4