拆西补东 — “To rob Peter to pay Paul”
拆西补东 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to rob Peter to pay Paul”. To solve one problem by creating another; to make temporary adjustments without a permanent solution. Literally, “Dismantle the west to mend the east”.
Frequency
拆西补东 Pronunciation and Pinyin
拆西补东 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 拆西补东
公司资金周转不灵，只能靠拆西补东来维持日常开销。
The company's cash flow was tight, so they could only rely on robbing Peter to pay Paul to cover daily expenses.
Idioms Related to 拆西补东
Synonyms of 拆西补东
Recommended tools
Chinese Text Image Generator
Create PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes
Open the tool →
Writing Worksheets
Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
Open the tool →
Character Highlight Animator
Choose character parts and animate their colors, together or in stroke order
Open the tool →
Stroke Order Animator
Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
Open the tool →Questions about 拆西补东
What does 拆西补东 mean?
拆西补东 (chāi xī bǔ dōng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to rob Peter to pay Paul”.
How do you pronounce 拆西补东?
拆西补东 is pronounced chāi xī bǔ dōng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 拆西补东 literally mean?
Literally, 拆西补东 means “Dismantle the west to mend the east”. It is used to mean “to rob Peter to pay Paul”.
What is the Chinese definition of 拆西补东?
比喻临时勉强凑合应付。同“拆东补西”。