📖 Meaning
To attempt polite and diplomatic means first before resorting to force or strong measures. It describes an approach of negotiating with courtesy initially, then escalating to military action or hardline tactics if diplomacy fails.
📜 Origin Story
From Luo Guanzhong's novel 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms' (三国演义), Chapter 11, written during the Ming Dynasty. In the story, Liu Bei arrived from afar to rescue a besieged city, and an advisor to the defender suggested responding to him with courteous words first to slow his advance, then launching a military attack to break the city. The phrase thus originally described the strategy of employing diplomacy before military action.
💡 Example Usage
处理纠纷应先礼后兵，先协商不成再诉诸法律。
When handling disputes, one should try courtesy first and resort to legal action only if negotiation fails.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 先礼后兵
- Pinyin: xiān lǐ hòu bīng
- Literal Translation: first, courtesy, then, military force
- Category: Method
- Characters: 4