三十六計

Chinese

		thirty-six; 36	to calculate; to compute; to count to calculate; to compute; to count; reckon; ruse; to plan
trad. (三十六計)		三十六	計
simp. (三十六计)		三十六	计

Etymology

The first mention is found in the Book of Southern Qi:

敬則曰：「檀公三十六策，走是上計。汝父子唯應急走耳。」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

---

敬则曰：「檀公三十六策，走是上计。汝父子唯应急走耳。」 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: The Book of Southern Qi, by Xiao Zixian, 6^th century CE

Jìngzé yuē: “Tán Gōng sānshíliùcè, zǒu shì shàngjì. Rǔ fùzǐ wéi yìng jí zǒu ěr.” [Pinyin]

Jingze said, "Among the thirty-six stratagems of Duke Tan, fleeing is the best stratagem. You and your father should quickly flee."

The number thirty-six here is likely a figure of speech meant to denote "numerous stratagems" instead of any specific number.

On the other hand, the current Thirty-Six Stratagems is based on a book with the same title published in 1941 that claims to be a reprint of a book discovered at a bookstall in Bin County (邠縣／邠县), Shaanxi that contains the thirty-six stratagems.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): Sānshíliù Jì

  (Zhuyin): ㄙㄢ ㄕˊ ㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄐㄧˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): saam¹ sap⁶ luk⁶ gai³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: Sānshíliù Jì
    • Zhuyin: ㄙㄢ ㄕˊ ㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄐㄧˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: Sanshíhliòu Jì
    • Wade–Giles: San¹-shih²-liu⁴ Chi⁴
    • Yale: Sān-shŕ-lyòu Jì
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Sanshyrliow Jih
    • Palladius: Саньшилю Цзи (Sanʹšilju Czi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sän⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ li̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: saam¹ sap⁶ luk⁶ gai³
    • Yale: sāam sahp luhk gai
    • Cantonese Pinyin: saam¹ sap⁹ luk⁹ gai³
    • Guangdong Romanization: sam¹ seb⁶ lug⁶ gei³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /saːm⁵⁵ sɐp̚² lʊk̚² kɐi̯³³/

Proper noun

三十六計

1. Thirty-Six Stratagems

   Synonyms: 三十六策, 三十六著 / 三十六着

Derived terms

• 三十六計，走為上策 / 三十六计，走为上策
• 三十六計，走為上計 / 三十六计，走为上计 (sānshíliùjì, zǒuwéishàngjì)

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (三十六計):

• → Japanese: 三(さん)十(じゅう)六(ろっ)計(けい) (Sanjūrokkei)
• → Korean: 삼십육계(三十六計) (Samsibyukgye)
• → Vietnamese: Tam thập lục kế (三十六計)

→ Vietnamese: Ba mươi sáu kế (calque)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
三	十	六	計
さん Grade: 1	じゅう Grade: 1	ろく > ろっ Grade: 1	けい Grade: 2
goon			kan'on

Etymology

From Chinese 三十六計 / 三十六计 (Sānshíliù Jì).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) さんじゅうろっけー [sáꜜǹjùùròkkèè] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [sã̠ɲ̟d͡ʑɨːɾo̞k̚ke̞ː]

Proper noun

三(さん)十(じゅう)六(ろっ)計(けい) • (Sanjūrokkei) ^{←さんじふろくけい (Sanzifurokukei)?}

1. the Thirty-Six Stratagems

See also

• 三(さん)十(じゅう)六(ろっ)計(けい)逃(に)げるに如(し)かず (Sanjūrokkei nigeru ni shikazu)
• 三(さん)十(じゅう)六(ろく) (sanjūroku)

Korean

Hanja in this term
三	十	六	計

Proper noun

三十六計 • (Samsibyukgye) (hangeul 삼십육계)

1. hanja form^? of 삼십육계 (“Thirty-Six Stratagems”)

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
三	十	六	計

Proper noun

三十六計

1. chữ Hán form of Tam thập lục kế (“Thirty-Six Stratagems”).