Definition
顺水推舟 is a Chinese idiom that uses the image of pushing a boat in the same direction as the current — going with the flow to reach your destination effortlessly. Figuratively, it means to seize a favorable opportunity or to take advantage of an existing trend to achieve your goal smoothly, without extra effort. The tone is generally neutral or slightly positive (resourceful), not openly negative like 'exploitation'.
idiom
to seize a favorable opportunity to achieve one's goal with minimal effortto go with the tide
Examples
- ，顺水推舟，。Jìrán duìfāng yǐjīng tóngyì le dà bùfèn tiáojiàn, wǒmen jiù shùn shuǐ tuī zhōu, gǎnjǐn bǎ hétong qiān le ba.Since the other party has already agreed to most of the terms, let's go along with the current and sign the contract quickly.
- ，顺水推舟，。Lǎobǎn xīnqíng hěn hǎo, tā shùn shuǐ tuī zhōu tíchū jiā xīn de yāoqiú, jūrán chénggōng le.The boss was in a good mood, so he took advantage of the situation to ask for a raise — and surprisingly, it worked.
- ，顺水推舟，。Zài zhè chǎng biànlùn zhōng, tā shùn shuǐ tuī zhōu, yòng duìfāng zìjǐ de lùnjù fǎnbó le huíqù.In this debate, he went with the flow and refuted the opponent using the opponent's own arguments.
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