Art of War 10.27
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Terrain 地形篇
知吾卒之可以擊而不知敵之不可擊勝之半也
If we know that our own men are in a condition to attack, but are unaware that the enemy is not open to attack, we have gone only halfway towards victory.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
That is, as Ts‘ao Kung says, “the issue in this case is uncertain.”
Character glossary
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 卒zúsoldier; servant; at last, finally
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 擊jīto strike, to hit, to beat; to attack, t
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 敵díenemy, foe, rival; to match; to resist
- 勝shèngvictory; to excel, to truimph
- 半bànhalf; semi-, incomplete
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- Art of War 10.28
- Art of War 10.29
- Art of War 13.2
- Art of War 13.6
- Zhuangzi Tien Tzŭ Fang
- Zhuangzi Knowledge travels North
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.