李代桃僵
李代桃僵 (lǐ dài táo jiāng) literally means “the plum dies in the peach's place” and expresses “substitute or take the fall”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving strategy and action.
Also searched as: li dai tao jiang, li dai tao jiang,李代桃僵 meaning, 李代桃僵 in english
Substitute or take the fall
Pronunciation: lǐ dài táo jiāng Literal meaning: The plum dies in the peach's place
Origin & Usage
A Han ballad in the Yuefu collection supplies the image: a peach tree grows by the well, a plum tree beside it, and when insects come to gnaw the peach's roots the plum stands in its place and dies (僵) instead. The poem draws the moral about brothers who fail to do the same for each other. So the plum (李) substitutes for (代) the peach (桃), and the phrase names a sacrifice of one part to preserve another — used both for the scapegoat who takes a punishment and, coldly, for the piece a strategist decides to give up.
Examples
English: "In negotiations, he sacrificed one deal to secure a more advantageous one."
Chinese: 在谈判中，他牺牲了一个交易以确保一个更有利的交易。
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about strategy & action
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 李代桃僵 mean in English?
李代桃僵 (lǐ dài táo jiāng) literally translates to “The plum dies in the peach's place” and is used to express “Substitute or take the fall”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Strategy & Action category.
When is 李代桃僵 used?
Situation: In negotiations, he sacrificed one deal to secure a more advantageous one.
What is the pinyin for 李代桃僵?
The pinyin pronunciation for 李代桃僵 is “lǐ dài táo jiāng”.