yùn运planchóu筹strategywéi帷tentwò幄hold
To devise strategies within a command tent; to plan and direct affairs from behind the scenes; masterminding.
Literal meaning
plan (运) — strategy (筹) — tent (帷) — hold (幄)
Origin
Describes a general or leader who plans and directs military operations from within a command tent. It is used figuratively to describe someone who is skilled at planning and strategizing.
Examples
Tā他yùn运chóu筹wéi帷wò幄，zuì最zhōng终yíng赢dé得le了bǐ比sài赛。
He planned and strategized, and finally won the competition.
Zhè wèi CEO shànyú yùnchóuwéiwò, dàilǐng gōngsī zǒuxiàng chénggōng.这位CEO善于运筹帷幄，带领公司走向成功。
This CEO is good at planning and strategizing, leading the company to success.
Usage & nuances
Often used to describe someone who is a skilled strategist and leader.
Learn idioms by speaking them
Idioms are most useful when they land in a real conversation. Practice them out loud in Kango — get instant feedback on tone and timing.
Download Kango on iOS