"Shun shou qian yang" literally means to lead away someone's sheep in passing, and it is a metaphor for seizing an opportunity to steal or gain an advantage incidentally. This idiom comes from The Thirty-Six Stratagems. It originally referred to taking advantage of an enemy's negligence in military affairs to seize victory or spoils of war, and later it has often been used in everyday contexts to describe effortlessly taking someone else's property in passing or gaining an unfair advantage. Its deeper meaning emphasizes "seizing the opportunity" and "doing something in passing," and it often carries a derogatory sense, referring to obtaining by dishonorable means something that does not rightfully belong to oneself. It is used in a wide range of scenarios, and can refer both to petty theft and to the metaphor of securing benefits for oneself in the course of doing something else. In terms of cultural background, it reflects the idea of deception in ancient military strategy, but in modern moral concepts, such behavior is often condemned. In emotional coloring, it mostly contains criticism and sarcasm, and is sometimes also used for self-mockery or teasing.
📝 Example
1. While the shop assistant was not looking, he took the opportunity to steal the lighter from the counter.
2. On this business trip, he took the opportunity to collect a lot of client information to prepare for a future job change.