📖 Meaning
To devise strategies and formulate plans, especially in military or political contexts. It describes the careful, behind-the-scenes work of analyzing situations and drafting actionable plans, typically done by advisors or strategists.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom first appears in the Tang dynasty historian Liu Zhiji's work 'Shi Tong' (General Treatise on History), in the chapter 'Speech' (言语). Liu Zhiji (661–721 CE), a pioneering historiographer, observed that the art of devising strategies and offering counsel was documented in official memorials and written records. The phrase originally described how military and political planning was formalized through writing. Later, Song dynasty writer Su Zhe also used it in his essay 'Chen Shi Ce Xia' to describe the roles of scholar-officials serving the emperor.
💡 Example Usage
他在帐中运筹画策，最终制定了破敌的良方。
He devised strategies in the command tent, ultimately formulating an excellent plan to defeat the enemy.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 运筹画策
- Pinyin: yùn chóu huà cè
- Literal Translation: maneuver, calculate, map, plan
- Category: Wisdom
- Characters: 4