先下手為強 xiān xià shǒu wéi qiáng

act first to gain advantage

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

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
為 wéi
for; because of; to
強 qiáng
strong; powerful; better