捉刀人 — “A ghostwriter”
捉刀人 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a ghostwriter”. Someone who writes or performs tasks on behalf of another without receiving public credit. Literally, “Knife-wielder; the man holding a knife”.
捉刀人 Pronunciation and Pinyin
捉刀人 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 捉刀人
Origin and Story of 捉刀人
During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao, known for his suspicious nature, was to meet with an envoy from the Xiongnu.
To project a more imposing image, he arranged for the handsome and dignified Cui Jigui to impersonate him as the King of Wei during the reception. Cao Cao himself, disguised as a guard, stood at the head of the bed (or couch) holding a knife.
After the meeting, he instructed a spy to inquire about the Xiongnu envoy's impression of the King of Wei. The envoy responded, "The man holding the knife by the bed is the true hero."
Idioms Related to 捉刀人
Synonyms of 捉刀人
More idioms starting with 捉
- zhuō捉dāo刀dài代bǐ笔to ghostwrite for someone
- zhuō捉jiān奸zhuō捉shuāng双Catch adulterers in the act
- zhuō捉jiān奸yào要shuāng双，，zhuā抓zéi贼yào要zāng赃concrete evidence for serious accusations
- zhuō捉jiān奸jiàn见shuāng双，，zhuā抓zéi贼jiàn见zāng赃concrete evidence is needed for accusations
- zhuō捉jiān奸jiàn见shuāng双，，ná拿zéi贼yào要zāng赃catch red-handed with concrete evidence
- zhuō捉jiān奸jiàn见shuāng双，，zhuō捉zéi贼jiàn见zāng赃Catching culprits requires solid evidence
- zhuō捉jiān奸jiàn见shuāng双，，zhuō捉zéi贼jiàn见zāng赃，，shā杀rén人jiàn见shāng伤Accuse with concrete evidence
- zhuō捉jiān奸jiàn见chuáng床catch in the act of adultery
- zhuō捉jiàng将guān官lǐ里qù去Arrested and taken into custody by officials
- zhuō捉jiāng将xié挟rén人capture the commander to control the forces
- zhuō捉yǐng影bǔ捕fēng风pursue imaginary things
- zhuō捉yǐng影zhuī追fēng风pursue imaginary things
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Open the tool →Questions about 捉刀人
What does 捉刀人 mean?
捉刀人 (zhuō dāo rén) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a ghostwriter”.
How do you pronounce 捉刀人?
捉刀人 is pronounced zhuō dāo rén in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 捉刀人 literally mean?
Literally, 捉刀人 means “Knife-wielder; the man holding a knife”. It is used to mean “a ghostwriter”.
Where does 捉刀人 come from?
捉刀人 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 捉刀人?
指曹操。引申顶替人做事或作文的人