三十六计(Thirty-Six Stratagems)

1.瞒天过海crossing the sea under camouflage
2.围魏救赵relieving the state of Zhao by besieging the state of Wei
3.借刀杀人killing someone with a borrowed knife
4.以逸待劳waiting at one’s ease for the exhausted enemy
5.趁火打劫plundering a burning house
6.声东击西making a feint to the east and attacking in the west
7.无中生有creating something out of nothing
8.暗渡陈仓advancing secretly by an unknown path
9.隔岸观火watching a fire from the other side of the river
10.笑里藏刀covering the dagger with a smile
11.李代桃僵palming off substitute for the real thing
12.顺手牵羊picking up something in passing
13.打草惊蛇beating the grass to frighten the snake
14.借尸还魂resurrecting a dead soul by borrowing a corpse
15.调虎离山luring the tiger out of his den
16.欲擒故纵letting the enemy off in order to catch him
17.抛砖引玉giving the enemy something to induce him to lose more valuable things
18.擒贼擒王capturing the ringleader first in order to capture all the followers
19.釜底抽薪extracting the firewood from under the cauldron
20.混水摸鱼muddling the water to catch the fish; fishing in troubled waters
21.金蝉脱壳slipping away by casting off a cloak; getting away like the cicada sloughing its skin
22.关门捉贼catching the thief by closing / blocking his escape route
23.远交近攻befriending the distant enemy while attacking a nearby enemy
24.假途伐虢attacking the enemy by passing through a common neighbor
25.偷梁换柱stealing the beams and pillars and replacing them with rotten timbers
26.指桑骂槐reviling/ abusing the locust tree while pointing to the mulberry
27.假痴不癫feigning madness without becoming insane
28.上屋抽梯removing the ladder after the enemy has climbed up the roof
29.树上开花putting artificial flowers on trees
30.反客为主turning from the guest into the host
31.美人计using seductive women to corrupt the enemy
32.空城计presenting a bold front to conceal unpreparedness
33.反间计sowing discord among the enemy
34.苦肉计deceiving the enemy by torturing one’s own man
35.连环计coordinating one stratagem with another
36.走为上decamping being the best; running away as the best choice