Art of War 4.3
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Tactical Dispositions 形篇
故善戰者能爲不可勝不能使敵必可勝
Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat,
but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
“By concealing the disposition of his troops, covering up his tracks, and taking unremitting precautions” (Chang Yü).
The original text reads 使敵之可勝, which the modern text has further modified into 使敵之必可勝. Capt. Calthrop makes out the impossible meaning, “and further render the enemy incapable of victory.”
Character glossary
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 善shàngood, virtuous, charitable, kind
- 戰zhànwar, fighting, battle
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 能néngcan, may; capable, full of energy
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 勝shèngvictory; to excel, to truimph
- 使shǐcause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger
- 敵díenemy, foe, rival; to match; to resist
- 必bìsurely, certainly; must; will
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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