Art of War 10.28
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Terrain 地形篇
知敵之可擊而不知吾卒之不可以擊勝之半也
If we know that the enemy is open to attack, but are unaware that our own men are not in a condition 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
Cf. III. § 13 (1).
Character glossary
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 敵díenemy, foe, rival; to match; to resist
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 擊jīto strike, to hit, to beat; to attack, t
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 吾wúI, my, our; to resist, to impede
- 卒zúsoldier; servant; at last, finally
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 勝shèngvictory; to excel, to truimph
- 半bànhalf; semi-, incomplete
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
- Art of War 10.27
- 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.