How do you pronounce 自相鱼肉?

自相鱼肉 is pronounced zì xiāng yú ròu in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 自相鱼肉 literally mean?

Literally, 自相鱼肉 means “to butcher each other like fish and meat”. It is used to mean “to engage in internal strife or mutual destruction”.

Where does 自相鱼肉 come from?

自相鱼肉 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 自相鱼肉?

鱼肉：当作鱼肉一般任意宰割。比喻内部自相残杀。

自相鱼肉 — “To engage in internal strife or mutual destruction”

自相鱼肉 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to engage in internal strife or mutual destruction”. To devour each other, often within the same group. Literally, “To butcher each other like fish and meat”.

Frequency

自相鱼肉 Pronunciation and Pinyin

自zì
相xiāng
鱼yú
肉ròu

自相鱼肉 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
自	zì	6	from, self, naturally
相	xiāng	9	mutual or appearance
鱼	yú	8	aquatic vertebrate with gills and fins
肉	ròu	6	flesh, meat, or pulp

Example Sentence with 自相鱼肉

由于公司内部管理混乱，员工们常常自相鱼肉，导致效率低下。

Due to chaotic internal management, employees often engaged in internal strife, leading to low efficiency.

Origin and Story of 自相鱼肉

During the Jin Dynasty, Liu Yuan, a leader of the Xiongnu people, observed the eight princes of Emperor Hui of Jin, Sima Zhong, engaging in intense internal power struggles and mutual destruction. Seeing this weakness, and encouraged by his general Liu Xuan and other commanders, Liu Yuan declared himself emperor.

Later, when Emperor Hui of Jin was driven to Luoyang by Qi Hong, Liu Xuan advised Liu Yuan against offering assistance. Liu Xuan argued that the Sima father and son, along with their brothers, were already "devouring each other" (自相鱼肉) and that this was an opportune moment to eradicate them.

Consequently, Liu Yuan moved his capital to Pingyang and made preparations to advance on Luoyang.

Idioms Related to 自相鱼肉

Synonyms of 自相鱼肉

Antonyms of 自相鱼肉

More idioms starting with 自

Questions about 自相鱼肉

What does 自相鱼肉 mean?: 自相鱼肉 (zì xiāng yú ròu) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to engage in internal strife or mutual destruction”.
How do you pronounce 自相鱼肉?: 自相鱼肉 is pronounced zì xiāng yú ròu in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 自相鱼肉 literally mean?: Literally, 自相鱼肉 means “to butcher each other like fish and meat”. It is used to mean “to engage in internal strife or mutual destruction”.
Where does 自相鱼肉 come from?: 自相鱼肉 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 自相鱼肉?: 鱼肉：当作鱼肉一般任意宰割。比喻内部自相残杀。

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