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围魏救赵

wéi Wèi jiù Zhào

4-character word Traditional 圍魏救趙

What 围魏救赵 means

1. lit. to besiege {魏|Wèi} and rescue {赵|Zhào} (idiom)
2. fig. to relieve a besieged ally by attacking the home base of the besiegers

The characters in 围魏救赵

• 围wéito encircle; to surround; all around
• 魏wèitower over a palace gateway (old)
• 救jiùto save; to assist; to rescue
• 赵zhàoto surpass (old)

Go deeper

• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read wéi Wèi jiù Zhào correctly.
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