先下手为强 xiān xià shǒu wéi qiáng

take action first to gain the advantage

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency 20660th word

Definitions

  1. 1. strike first and gain the upper hand (idiom, martial arts term); Making the first move is an advantage.

Characters

Character Meaning
先 xiān HSK 1
first; in advance; early
下 xià HSK 1
down; below; to go down
手 shǒu HSK 2
hand; personal(ly); person engaged in certain types of work
为 wéi HSK 2
for; because of; to
强 qiáng HSK 5
strong; powerful; better