How do you pronounce 城门失火?

城门失火 is pronounced as "chéng mén shī huǒ" in Mandarin Chinese.

城门失火

Q: What does 城门失火 mean?

城门失火 (chéng mén shī huǒ) literally means "City gate catches fire" and metaphorically means "Innocent bystanders suffer from others' problems". It belongs to the Life Philosophy category of Chinese idioms.

Q: When is 城门失火 used?

城门失火 is used when The minister's minor scandal harmed innocent department members.

城门失火 (chéng mén shī huǒ) literally means “city gate catches fire” and expresses “innocent bystanders suffer from others' problems”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.

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Innocent bystanders suffer from others' problems

Pronunciation: chéng mén shī huǒ Literal meaning: City gate catches fire

Origin & Usage

The full saying is 城门失火，殃及池鱼 — the city gate (城门) catches fire (失火) and the calamity reaches the fish in the moat, because the water is drawn off to fight it and the pond is left dry. The chain is what matters: the fish are not near the fire, are no part of the quarrel, and die of it anyway. The people at the far end of somebody else's disaster — staff in a company scandal, civilians in a border dispute.

Examples

English: "The minister's minor scandal harmed innocent department members"

Chinese: 部长的小丑闻损害了无辜的部门成员

Related Chinese Idioms

Similar idioms about life philosophy

引火烧身

yǐn huǒ shāo shēn

Bring trouble upon oneself

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隔岸观火

gé àn guān huǒ

Observe troubles from safe distance

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抱薪救火

bào xīn jiù huǒ

Make situation worse

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飞蛾扑火

fēi é pū huǒ

Be irresistibly drawn toward self-destruction

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火冒三丈

huǒ mào sān zhàng

Explode in extreme anger or rage

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洞若观火

dòng ruò guān huǒ

Understand with absolute clarity

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炉火纯青

lú huǒ chún qīng

Highest level of mastery; consummate skill

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赴汤蹈火

fù tāng dǎo huǒ

Go through fire and water; brave any danger

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does 城门失火 mean in English?

城门失火 (chéng mén shī huǒ) literally translates to “City gate catches fire” and is used to express “Innocent bystanders suffer from others' problems”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.