Chinese idiom · 成语
深谋远虑
Meaning
Deep plans and far-reaching foresight; strategic thinking.
Character by character
Origin and story
Political essayJia Yi uses the expression in Guo Qin Lun (過秦論), his essay examining Qin’s fall, preserved in the Shiji, volume 6. He contrasts Chen She’s low position and poorly equipped followers with the rulers and armies that had formerly opposed Qin. In profound planning, long-range judgment, and military expertise, Chen She did not match those earlier opponents. Yet the outcomes were astonishingly different.
The phrase is part of that comparison, not a claim that Chen She personally possessed unrivaled strategy. Jia Yi’s argument turns toward Qin’s failure to govern humanely and to adapt after conquest. Detached from the essay, the idiom describes careful planning that takes distant consequences into account.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
她在装修时就预留了无障碍通道，确实深谋远虑。
She planned accessible passageways during the renovation—genuine long-term foresight.
Praises thoughtful planning for future needs, not merely thinking hard about an immediate question.