射人先射馬，擒賊先擒王

Chinese
radio- (chem.); shoot man; person; people
 
early; prior; former
early; prior; former; in advance; first
 radio- (chem.); shoot horse; surname capture thief
 
early; prior; former
early; prior; former; in advance; first
 capture king; Wang (proper name)
trad. (射人先射馬，擒賊先擒王) 射 人 先 射 馬 ， 擒 賊 先 擒 王
simp. (射人先射马，擒贼先擒王) 射 人 先 射 马 ， 擒 贼 先 擒 王
Literally: “To shoot a rider, first shoot the horse; to catch a thief, first capture the king”.

Etymology

A line from the poem 《前出塞·其六》 by the Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu.

Pronunciation

  • Mandarin
    (Pinyin): shè rén xiān shè mǎ, qín zéi xiān qín wáng
    (Zhuyin): ㄕㄜˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄕㄜˋ ㄇㄚˇ , ㄑㄧㄣˊ ㄗㄟˊ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄑㄧㄣˊ ㄨㄤˊ
  • Mandarin
    • (Standard Chinese)+
      • Hanyu Pinyin: shè rén xiān shè mǎ, qín zéi xiān qín wáng
      • Zhuyin: ㄕㄜˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄕㄜˋ ㄇㄚˇ , ㄑㄧㄣˊ ㄗㄟˊ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄑㄧㄣˊ ㄨㄤˊ
      • Tongyong Pinyin: shè rén sian shè mǎ, cín zéi sian cín wáng
      • Wade–Giles: shê4 jên2 hsien1 shê4 ma3, chʻin2 tsei2 hsien1 chʻin2 wang2
      • Yale: shè rén syān shè mǎ-, chín dzéi syān chín wáng
      • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: sheh ren shian sheh maa, chyn tzeir shian chyn wang
      • Palladius: шэ жэнь сянь шэ ма, цинь цзэй сянь цинь ван (šɛ žɛnʹ sjanʹ šɛ ma, cinʹ czɛj sjanʹ cinʹ van)
      • Sinological IPA (key): /ʂɤ⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʂɤ⁵¹ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰin³⁵ t͡seɪ̯³⁵⁻⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰin³⁵⁻⁵⁵ wɑŋ³⁵/

Proverb

射人先射馬，擒賊先擒王

  1. defeat the enemy by capturing their chief

Derived terms
  • → Japanese: 人を射んとせばまず馬を射よ (hito o in to seba mazu uma o iyo) (calque)
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