Art of War 8.14
The Art of War (孫子兵法), Variation Of Tactics 九變篇
覆軍殺將必以五危不可不察也
When an army is overthrown and its leader slain, the cause will surely be found among these five dangerous faults. Let them be a subject of meditation.
Lionel Giles (1910), Sun Tzŭ on the Art of War (1910), with Giles' notes — public domain.
Character glossary
- 覆fùto cover; to overturn; to repeat; to rep
- 軍jūnarmy, military; soldiers, troops
- 殺shāto kill, to murder, to slaughter; to hur
- 將jiāngthe future, what will be; ready, prepare
- 必bìsurely, certainly; must; will
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 五wǔfive; surname
- 危wēidangerous, precarious; high
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 察cháto examine, to investigate, to observe
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.