Definition

1. Noun:
   • Cunning intelligence; strategic wit: The quality of being clever and skillful in devising plans or strategies, often involving subtlety and craftiness.
   • Resourceful scheming: The ability to think of clever and effective plans, especially in complex or challenging situations.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Nhờ có trí mưu, ông ấy đã giải quyết được vấn đề hóc búa. (Thanks to his cunning intelligence, he solved the thorny problem.)
  • Kẻ địch không thể đối phó với trí mưu của vị tướng. (The enemy could not counter the general's strategic wit.)
  • Trí mưu là yếu tố then chốt để thành công trong nhiều cuộc đàm phán. (Resourceful scheming is a key factor for success in many negotiations.)

Advanced Usage

• This term often carries a connotation of practical, applied cleverness rather than pure academic intelligence. It is frequently used in contexts of strategy, competition, or overcoming obstacles.
• It can be used to describe a person's characteristic trait or a specific instance of clever planning.

Variants and Related Words

• Mưu trí (n): This is a common variant with the same core meaning of cleverness and strategic thinking. The word order is reversed.
  • Anh ấy là người đầy mưu trí. (He is a man full of cleverness.)
• Mưu mẹo (n): A related term meaning "trick" or "stratagem," often with a slightly more tactical or cunning nuance.
  • Hắn ta dùng đủ mưu mẹo để đạt được mục đích. (He used all sorts of tricks to achieve his goal.)

Synonyms

• Cunning: Skill in achieving one's ends by deceit.
• Guile: Sly or cunning intelligence.
• Resourcefulness: The ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties.
• Strategem: A plan or scheme, especially one used to outwit an opponent.

Related Idioms

• While "trí mưu" itself is not commonly part of a fixed idiom, it is conceptually related to phrases about cleverness and strategy.
• Dùng mưu hơn dùng sức: To use strategy/wit over brute strength. This proverb emphasizes the value of intelligence and planning.
  • Trong trận đấu này, chúng ta nên dùng mưu hơn dùng sức. (In this match, we should use strategy over strength.)