伺机

• Pinyin: sì jī
• Hanzi breakdown: 伺 = 亻(person) + 司 (to manage, attend) — to watch attentively, to wait upon; 机 = 木 (wood) + 几 — machine, opportunity, crucial moment

Meaning

To watch for an opportunity; to bide one's time waiting for the right moment to act. Often implies a calculated, patient, and sometimes predatory waiting.

Carries a sense of strategic patience — the subject is not passive but actively watching for the optimal moment to strike, intervene, or take advantage. Used in military, competitive, and sometimes negative contexts (伺机作案 — waiting for a chance to commit a crime). Emphasises deliberate readiness rather than passive waiting.

Examples

1. 他深知时机尚未成熟，于是选择暂时按兵不动，伺机而为，等待最有利的时机出手。 He knew the timing wasn’t right yet, so he held back for the moment and waited for the best opportunity to act.
2. 捕食者伺机潜伏于草丛之中，等待猎物靠近到足够近的距离再发动突袭。 The predator lay in wait in the grass, waiting until the prey came close enough before launching a sudden attack.
3. 这家企业在等待监管政策明朗化，伺机进入目标市场，抢占先发优势。 The company is waiting for regulatory policy to become clearer, ready to enter the target market at the right moment and seize a first-mover advantage.

Usage Guide

Context: strategy, military, business, competition

Tone: strategic

Do Say

• 经验丰富的谈判者往往不急于表态，而是在充分了解对方底牌之后，伺机提出最有利于己方的解决方案。(Experienced negotiators seldom rush to reveal their position; instead, after fully gauging the other party's hand, they wait for the right moment to table the solution most advantageous to their side.)
• 这支特种部队奉命潜伏于敌后，伺机摧毁对方的核心通信节点，为正面进攻创造有利条件。(This special forces unit was ordered to infiltrate behind enemy lines, waiting for the opportune moment to destroy the enemy's key communications nodes and create favourable conditions for a frontal assault.)

Don't Say

• 不要将 伺机 与 等待 混淆 — 伺机 强调主动、策略性地寻找并等待最佳时机，而不是被动地等候

Origin & History

伺 (to watch, to wait upon attentively) + 机 (opportunity, moment) — to attend closely to an opportunity; to wait watchfully for the right moment

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal