Definition
投石问路 is a four-character idiom (chengyu) that literally means 'throw a stone to test the road'. Its figurative meaning is 'to test the waters, to probe the situation, to feel out someone's intentions' — a strategy of making a small move to see how others react before committing. It's often used in business, negotiations, or social interactions.
idiom
to test the watersto probe the situation
Examples
- ，投石问路，。Zài kāishǐ xiàngmù zhīqián, wǒmen yīnggāi xiān tóu dàn, liǎojiě yíxià shìchǎng fǎnyìng.Before starting the project, we should test the waters and understand market reactions.
- 投石问路，。Tā xiān tóu dàn, kànkan lǎobǎn duì zhège jiànyì de tàidù.He first probed to see the boss's attitude towards this suggestion.
- 投石问路，。Tā yǐ tíwèn de fāngshì tóu dàn, shìtàn duìfāng de dǐxiàn.She used a questioning approach to feel out the other side's bottom line.
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