橘化为枳 — “Oranges turn into trifoliate oranges”
橘化为枳 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to illustrate how a person's character can deteriorate or change for the worse due to the influence of an unfavorable environment”. Literally, “Oranges turn into trifoliate oranges”.
橘化为枳 Pronunciation and Pinyin
橘化为枳 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 橘化为枳
Origin and Story of 橘化为枳
During the Spring and Autumn period, Yan Ying, a renowned diplomat from the State of Qi, was often discriminated against due to his short stature and plain appearance.
Once, when Yan Ying was on a diplomatic mission to the State of Chu, the King of Chu intentionally tried to humiliate him by saying that all people from Qi were thieves.
Yan Ying seriously replied, "Orange trees grown south of the Huai River yield sweet oranges, but when transplanted north of the Huai River, their fruit turns into trifoliate oranges ("."The King of Chu was left speechless.
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Open the tool →Questions about 橘化为枳
What does 橘化为枳 mean?
橘化为枳 (jú huà wéi zhǐ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to illustrate how a person's character can deteriorate or change for the worse due to the influence of an unfavorable environment”.
How do you pronounce 橘化为枳?
橘化为枳 is pronounced jú huà wéi zhǐ in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 橘化为枳 literally mean?
Literally, 橘化为枳 means “Oranges turn into trifoliate oranges”. It is used to mean “to illustrate how a person's character can deteriorate or change for the worse due to the influence of an unfavorable environment”.
Where does 橘化为枳 come from?
橘化为枳 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 橘化为枳?
比喻人由于环境的影响而变坏。