have advantages and skills; be adept at social maneuvering
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 4 examplesidiom
(Original meaning) to have advantages and skills; be adept at social maneuvering
literary源自《韩非子》。原意指有长袖便于跳舞，比喻拥有优越条件或资本就容易把事办成。此用法现在较少见，多用于古典文学分析。
Gǔ古
rén人
yún云
‘‘
cháng长
xiù袖
shàn善
wǔ舞
，
duō多
qián钱
shàn善
gǔ贾
’
，
qiáng强
diào调
zī资
běn本
duì对
yú于
shì事
yè业
chéng成
gōng功
de的
zhòng重
yào要
xìng性
。
As the ancients said, 'Long sleeves are good for dancing, much money is good for business,' emphasizing the importance of capital for success in one's endeavors.
idiom
(Modern meaning) to be adept at social maneuvering and opportunism; be skilled at networking and playing politics
formal这是现在最常用的含义，略带贬义，形容人（尤指在官场、商界）善于利用关系和手段为自己谋利。
Tā他
zài在
shāng商
jiè界
cháng长
xiù袖
shàn善
wǔ舞
，
duǎn短
duǎn短
jǐ几
nián年
jiù就
bǎ把
gōng公
sī司
zuò做
de得
fēng风
shēng生
shuǐ水
qǐ起
。
He is adept at social maneuvering in the business world and built the company into a thriving enterprise within just a few years.
Nà那
gè个
zhèng政
kè客
shì是
gè个
cháng长
xiù袖
shàn善
wǔ舞
de的
rén人
wù物
，
hěn很
dǒng懂
de得
lì利
yòng用
gè各
zhǒng种
guān关
xì系
。
That politician is a skilled operator who knows well how to exploit various connections.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Yào要
xiǎng想
zài在
zhè这
gè个
quān圈
zi子
lǐ里
lì立
zú足
，
méi没
yǒu有
diǎn点
cháng长
xiù袖
shàn善
wǔ舞
de的
běn本
shì事
kě可
bù不
xíng行
。
If you want to gain a foothold in this circle, you must possess some skill in social maneuvering.