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

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• 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 ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰin³⁵ 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)