"Taking the enemy by surprise" comes from The Art of War: Laying Plans by Sun Tzu. It originally referred to launching an attack when the enemy was completely unprepared and caught off guard, and it is one of the core principles of ancient military strategy. Today, this idiom has been widely applied in daily life, business competition, sports, and other fields, generally meaning taking action when the other party is unprepared so as to gain an advantage. It emphasizes the suddenness and covertness of action, which can often disrupt the opponent's arrangements and achieve twice the result with half the effort. When used, it usually carries a positive connotation, describing a strategy as brilliant and a response as witty and decisive. It should be noted, however, that if used to describe unethical behavior, it may carry a derogatory meaning. Its deeper implication lies in "attacking where the enemy is unprepared," that is, using gaps in information and timing to seize the initiative. Culturally, it reflects the wisdom of Chinese military strategists in "winning through cleverness," and is similar in spirit to idioms such as "making a feint to the east and attacking in the west" and "crossing in secret at Chencang." In terms of emotional coloring, it often makes people feel surprised, amazed, or impressed.
📝 Example
1. In business negotiations, he caught the other side off guard by proposing a plan they had never considered, and ultimately succeeded in winning the contract. (refers to taking action when the other party is unprepared)
2. In a football match, the forward made a surprise run from behind, received the pass, and shot with one kick, catching the goalkeeper off guard. (refers to launching an attack at a moment when the opponent does not expect it)