捉鬼卖钱 — “To catch ghosts and sell them for money”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 捉鬼卖钱?

将鬼捉住卖钱。指不怕鬼

捉鬼卖钱 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to catch ghosts and sell them for money”. Symbolizing extreme courage, audacity, and cunning in dealing with potentially terrifying situations, often implying profiting from such daring acts. It means to be fearless and resourceful. Literally, “Catch ghost sell money”.

Frequency

捉鬼卖钱 Pronunciation and Pinyin

捉鬼卖钱 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
捉	zhuō	10	catch, seize, or grasp
鬼	guǐ	10	ghost, devil, tricky, awful
卖	mài	8	sell, betray, exert, show off
钱	qián	10	money, currency, wealth

Example Sentence with 捉鬼卖钱

面对市场上的激烈竞争，他却像捉鬼卖钱一样，毫不畏惧，反而从中找到了新的商机。

Facing fierce competition in the market, he was like someone catching ghosts and selling them for money, completely fearless, and instead found new business opportunities within it.

Origin and Story of 捉鬼卖钱

One night, Song Dingbo from Nanyang was walking alone when he encountered a ghost.

He cleverly pretended to be a ghost himself and walked alongside it. They took turns carrying each other. Song Dingbo skillfully dispelled all the ghost's suspicions about him.

As dawn approached, they arrived at Wanshi. Song Dingbo, still carrying the ghost, held on tightly.

Once in the market, he threw the ghost to the ground, and it transformed into a sheep. Song Dingbo then spat on it and sold it for 1500 coins before returning home.