欲 擒 故 纵

yù qín gù zòngdictionary entry

In order to capture, one must let loose. / to loosen the reins only to grasp them better

Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-9e92ae640631e7c4. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

欲擒故縱 欲擒故纵 [yu4 qin2 gu4 zong4] /In order to capture, one must let loose./to loosen the reins only to grasp them better/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 欲擒故縱

欲
yù
desire / appetite / passion / lust / greed / to wish for / to desire
擒
qín
to capture
故
gù
happening / instance / reason / cause / intentional / former / old / friend / therefore / hence / (of people) to die, dead
纵
zòng
vertical / north-south (Taiwan pr. [zōng]) / from front to back / longitudinal / lengthwise (Taiwan pr. [zōng]) / military unit corresponding to an army corps (Taiwan pr. [zōng]) / (bound form) to release (a captive) / to indulge / to leap up / (literary) even if

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.