一丘之貉 — “They are all of the same bad sort”
一丘之貉 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “They are all of the same bad sort”. Jackals from the same lair; birds of a feather (usually in a derogatory sense). Literally, “raccoons from the same mound”.
一丘之貉 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 一yī
- 丘qiū
- 之zhī
- 貉hé
一丘之貉 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 一丘之貉
Origin and Story of 一丘之貉
During the Han Dynasty, Yang Dan, a descendant of esteemed families (his father was a prime minister and his mother Sima Qian's daughter), gained fame early in life. He was initially lauded for his integrity, having reformed corruption among court officials.
However, his swift rise to prominence made him arrogant. One day, upon hearing that a Xiongnu leader had been overthrown, Yang Dan openly commented on how foolish rulers, like those of the Qin Dynasty who brought about their own downfall, trusted villains and ignored loyal advice. He then declared, 'From ancient times to the present, such rulers are truly like raccoons from the same mound; there's absolutely no difference between them!' (古与今，如一丘之貂).
These critical remarks were perceived as an implicit criticism of the current emperor, leading to Yang Dan's dismissal. This incident gave rise to the idiom '一丘之貉' (yī qiū zhī hé), which metaphorically describes people of the same kind, specifically those who share undesirable or contemptible qualities, implying they are all equally bad and unworthy of respect.
Idioms Related to 一丘之貉
Synonyms of 一丘之貉
Antonyms of 一丘之貉
More idioms starting with 一
- yī一dīng丁bù不shí识completely illiterate
- yī一dīng丁diǎn点er儿a tiny bit
- yī一bù不zuò作，，èr二bù不xiū休Finish what you start
- yī一bù不zuò做，，èr二bù不xiū休in for a penny, in for a pound
- yī一bù不yā压zhòng众，，bǎi百bù不suí随yī一The minority cannot prevail against the majority
- yī一bù不niǔ扭zhòng众One person cannot defy the crowd
- yī一shì世zhī之xióng雄A hero of a generation
- yī一shì世lóng龙mén门A generation's revered influential figure
- yī一qiū丘yī一hè壑live contentedly in nature
- yī一sī丝yī一háo毫the slightest amount
- yī一sī丝bù不luàn乱perfectly orderly and neat
- yī一sī丝bù不guà挂completely naked
Questions about 一丘之貉
- What does 一丘之貉 mean?
- 一丘之貉 (yī qiū zhī hé) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “They are all of the same bad sort”.
- How do you pronounce 一丘之貉?
- 一丘之貉 is pronounced yī qiū zhī hé in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 一丘之貉 literally mean?
- Literally, 一丘之貉 means “raccoons from the same mound”. It is used to mean “They are all of the same bad sort”.
- Where does 一丘之貉 come from?
- 一丘之貉 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 一丘之貉?
- 丘：土山；貉：一种形似狐狸的野兽。一个土山里的貉。比喻彼此同是丑类，没有什么差别。