害群之马
害群之马 (hài qún zhī mǎ) literally means “harm herd's horse” and expresses “individual whose behavior harms entire group”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.
Also searched as: hai qun zhi ma, hai qun zhi ma,害群之马 meaning, 害群之马 in english
Individual whose behavior harms entire group
Pronunciation: hài qún zhī mǎ Literal meaning: Harm herd's horse
Origin & Usage
Han Dynasty horse breeders first noted how a single problematic horse (马) could harm (害) an entire herd (群). Tang Dynasty administrators adopted it to describe how one disruptive official could damage entire departments. The agricultural observation proved universally applicable - groups dependent on coordination remain particularly vulnerable to individual disruptive elements.
Examples
English: "The employee's repeated violations damaged team morale and productivity"
Chinese: 该员工的反复违规损害了团队士气和生产力
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about relationships & character
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一模一样
yī mú yī yàng
Exactly identical
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以心换心
yǐ xīn huàn xīn
Treat others as yourself
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海纳百川
hǎi nà bǎi chuān
Accept all with open mind
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以和为贵
yǐ hé wéi guì
Value harmony above all
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同舟共济
tóng zhōu gòng jì
Face challenges together
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风雨同舟
fēng yǔ tóng zhōu
Share hardships together
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春风化雨
chūn fēng huà yǔ
Gentle, nurturing influence
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does 害群之马 mean in English?
害群之马 (hài qún zhī mǎ) literally translates to “Harm herd's horse” and is used to express “Individual whose behavior harms entire group”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.
When is 害群之马 used?
Situation: The employee's repeated violations damaged team morale and productivity
What is the pinyin for 害群之马?
The pinyin pronunciation for 害群之马 is “hài qún zhī mǎ”.