反客為主

Chinese

	wrong side out or up; anti-	customer; visitor; guest	because of; for; to because of; for; to; act as; take...to be; to be; to do; to serve as; to become	to own; to host; master to own; to host; master; lord; primary
trad. (反客為主/反客爲主)	反	客	為/爲	主
simp. (反客为主)	反	客	为	主
Literally: “to make the guest and host exchange roles”.

Etymology

From Romance of the Three Kingdoms:

淵為人輕躁，恃勇少謀。可激勸士卒，拔寨前進，步步為營，誘淵來戰而擒之，此乃「反客為主」之法。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]

渊为人轻躁，恃勇少谋。可激劝士卒，拔寨前进，步步为营，诱渊来战而擒之，此乃「反客为主」之法。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]

From: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, circa 14^th century CE

Yuān wéirén qīngzào, shì yǒng shào móu. Kě jīquàn shìzú, bázhài qiánjìn, bùwéiwèiyíng, yòu Yuān lái zhàn ér qín zhī, cǐ nǎi “fǎnkèwéizhǔ” zhī fǎ. [Pinyin]

This Xiahou Yuan is easily provoked to anger, and being angry he is bold without discretion. Your way now is to work up the enthusiasm of your soldiers, then break camp and advance. Do this in a series of marches, and you will excite him up to the point of giving battle, when you can capture him. They call this the 'Ruse of the Interchange of Host and Guest'.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): fǎnkèwéizhǔ

(Zhuyin): ㄈㄢˇ ㄎㄜˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄓㄨˇ
Cantonese (Jyutping): faan² haak³ wai⁴ zyu²

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: fǎnkèwéizhǔ
  - Zhuyin: ㄈㄢˇ ㄎㄜˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄓㄨˇ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: fǎnkèwéijhǔ
  - Wade–Giles: fan³-kʻo⁴-wei²-chu³
  - Yale: fǎn-kè-wéi-jǔ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: faankehweijuu
  - Palladius: фанькэвэйчжу (fanʹkɛvɛjčžu)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /fän²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʰɤ⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: faan² haak³ wai⁴ zyu²
  - Yale: fáan haak wàih jyú
  - Cantonese Pinyin: faan² haak⁸ wai⁴ dzy²
  - Guangdong Romanization: fan² hag³ wei⁴ ju²
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /faːn³⁵ haːk̚³ wɐi̯²¹ t͡syː³⁵/

Idiom

反客為主

to turn the tables; to turn from passive to active behaviour