yǐ zǐ zhī máo , gōng zǐ zhī dùn

以子之矛，攻子之盾 (yǐ zǐ zhī máo , gōng zǐ zhī dùn) is a Chinese word meaning “lit. use sb's spear to attack his shield (idiom, derived from Han Feizi 韓非子|韩非子); turning a weapon against its owner; fig. to attack an opponent using his own devices; hoist with his own petard”.

Meanings

  1. 1lit. use sb's spear to attack his shield (idiom, derived from Han Feizi 韓非子|韩非子); turning a weapon against its owner
  2. 2fig. to attack an opponent using his own devices
  3. 3hoist with his own petard

Characters in 以子之矛，攻子之盾

以yǐ · to use子zǐ · son之zhī · (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5])矛máo · spear; lance; pike攻gōng · to attack子zǐ · son之zhī · (possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5])盾dùn · shield (CL:面[mian4])

Related words

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