10 Chinese Idioms About Deception & Trickery

Borrow authority to intimidate

Literal: Fox uses tiger's power

This idiom emerged from a Warring States period fable where a fox (狐) borrowed (假) the authority (威) of a tiger (虎) to intimidate other animals. The story first appeared in the Zhan Guo Ce, using the clever fox and powerful tiger to criticize political parasites who derived their influence from powe...

Open threats easier than hidden

Literal: Bright spear easy dodge

In ancient Chinese warfare, a visible (明) spear (枪) was considered easy (易) to dodge (躲). This military wisdom emerged from the Spring and Autumn period, when straightforward attacks were less feared than hidden strategies. The idiom gained prominence through historical chronicles describing how ski...

Deceive by substitution

Literal: Steal beam swap pillar

This idiom refers to the cunning act of stealing (偷) beams (梁) and swapping (换) pillars (柱), derived from a Warring States period tale of architectural deception. The story involves a craftsman who gradually replaced a building's support structure while maintaining its appearance, ultimately comprom...

Miss big picture

Literal: Leaf blocks eye

This idiom illustrates how a single (一) leaf (叶) can block (障) one's vision/eyes (目). Emerging from Buddhist texts warning against limited perspective, it gained prominence during the Song Dynasty's Neo-Confucian movement. The deceptively simple image of a leaf blocking an entire view became a power...

Use others' resources

Literal: Borrow flower offer Buddha

This Buddhist-influenced idiom describes borrowing flowers (花) to offer (献) to Buddha (佛), originating from Tang Dynasty temple practices where worshippers would sometimes borrow flowers from temple gardens for their offerings. The practice sparked philosophical discussions about the nature of since...

Repeated lie becomes truth

Literal: Three people make tiger real

This idiom originates from the Wei state minister Pang Cong's warning to his king about how three (三) people's (人) repeated lies can make even an absurd claim - like a tiger (虎) loose in the marketplace - seem true (成). The story, recorded in Warring States texts, demonstrates how repeated rumors ca...

Needlessly suspicious

Literal: Bow in cup snake shadow

This tale from the Jin Dynasty chronicles a scholar who saw a bow's (弓) reflection in his cup (杯), mistaking it for a snake (蛇) shadow (影). His subsequent illness from fear only subsided when he discovered the truth. First recorded in 'Jin Shu', the story resonated with Buddhist teachings about how ...

Professed love hiding actual fear

Literal: Lord Ye loves dragons

This ironic tale tells of Lord Ye (叶公) who professed to love (好) dragons (龙) but fled in terror when faced with a real one. During the Six Dynasties period, it became a standard criticism of superficial appreciation without genuine understanding. The dragon imagery carried particular weight in Chine...

Unable to understand despite much thought

Literal: Think a hundred times still not understand

This idiom describes thinking (思) a hundred times (百) yet still not (不) understanding (解), expressing puzzlement that persists despite extensive contemplation. The number 'hundred' suggests numerous attempts rather than a literal count. The phrase emerged in literary contexts describing mysteries an...

Extremely arrogant; look down on everyone

Literal: No person in one's eyes

This idiom describes having no (无) person (人) in one's eyes (目中) - looking through people as if they don't exist. It criticizes extreme arrogance that refuses to acknowledge others. The phrase appeared in texts condemning proud officials who treated inferiors with contempt. It represents a failure o...