Art of War 6.10
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Weak Points And Strong 虛實篇
進而不可禦者衝其虛也退而不可追者速而不可及也
You may advance and be absolutely irresistible, if you make for the enemy’s weak points; you may retire and be safe from pursuit if your movements are more rapid than those of the enemy.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Lionel Giles's notes
The second member of the sentence is weak, because 不可及 is nearly tautologous with 不可追. The Yü Lan reads 遠 for 速.
Character glossary
- 進jìnto advance, to make progress; to come in
- 而érand, and then, and yet; but
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 禦yùchariot; to drive, to ride; to manage
- 者zhěthat which; they who; those who
- 衝chōngwash, rinse, flush; dash; soar
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 虛xūfalse; worthless, hollow, empty; vain
- 也yěalso, too
- 退tuìto retreat, to step back, to withdraw
- 追zhuīto pursue, to chase after; to expel
- 速sùprompt, quick, speedy
- 及jíto extend; to reach; and; in time
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.