先禮後兵

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See also: 先礼后兵

Chinese

 
early; prior; former
early; prior; former; in advance; first
gift; propriety; rite
 
back; behind; rear
back; behind; rear; afterwards; after; later
 
soldiers; a force; an army
soldiers; a force; an army; weapons; arms; military; warlike
trad. (先禮後兵)
simp. (先礼后兵)

Etymology

Literally: first courtesy, then troops

Pronunciation


Idiom

(deprecated template usage) 先禮後兵

  1. when dealing with another, to begin by approaching the situation politely - then, when results are not forthcoming, to resort to aggression