How do you pronounce 偷梁换柱?

偷梁换柱 is pronounced tōu liáng huàn zhù in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 偷梁换柱 literally mean?

Literally, 偷梁换柱 means “to steal a beam and replace it with a pillar”. It is used to mean “to replace something secretly with an inferior substitute”.

Where does 偷梁换柱 come from?

偷梁换柱 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to the modern era. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 偷梁换柱?

比喻暗中玩弄手法，以假代真，以劣代优。

偷梁换柱 — “To replace something secretly with an inferior substitute”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 偷梁换柱?

比喻暗中玩弄手法，以假代真，以劣代优。

偷梁换柱 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to replace something secretly with an inferior substitute”. To practice a fraud or a surreptitious switch; to substitute the fake for the genuine. Literally, “To steal a beam and replace it with a pillar”.

Frequency

偷梁换柱 Pronunciation and Pinyin

偷tōu
梁liáng
换huàn
柱zhù

偷梁换柱 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
偷	tōu	11	to steal or do secretly
梁	liáng	11	beam, bridge, ridge
换	huàn	10	exchange, change, replace
柱	zhù	9	pillar, column, mainstay

Example Sentence with 偷梁换柱

这家公司被指控通过偷梁换柱的方式，将劣质材料冒充合格产品销售。

The company was accused of replacing genuine products with inferior ones by underhand means, selling substandard materials as qualified products.

Origin and Story of 偷梁换柱

In the classic Chinese novel 'Dream of the Red Chamber,' Jia Baoyu fell seriously ill with a mental disorder. To boost his health and bring good fortune, his grandmother, Lady Jia, decided to arrange a celebratory wedding for him.

Baoyu was deeply in love with Lin Daiyu, who unfortunately was also gravely ill.

Wang Xifeng (Phoenix), a cunning relative, came up with a deceitful plan, embodying the idiom 'stealing beams and replacing pillars.' She pretended to agree to Baoyu marrying Daiyu but secretly arranged for him to marry Xue Baochai instead.

On the very night of their wedding, while Baoyu unknowingly married Baochai, Lin Daiyu, abandoned and heartbroken, passed away alone in the Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Idioms Related to 偷梁换柱

Synonyms of 偷梁换柱

Antonyms of 偷梁换柱

guāng光míng明lěi磊luò落open, candid, and upright

More idioms starting with 偷

Questions about 偷梁换柱

What does 偷梁换柱 mean?: 偷梁换柱 (tōu liáng huàn zhù) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to replace something secretly with an inferior substitute”.
How do you pronounce 偷梁换柱?: 偷梁换柱 is pronounced tōu liáng huàn zhù in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 偷梁换柱 literally mean?: Literally, 偷梁换柱 means “to steal a beam and replace it with a pillar”. It is used to mean “to replace something secretly with an inferior substitute”.
Where does 偷梁换柱 come from?: 偷梁换柱 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to the modern era. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 偷梁换柱?: 比喻暗中玩弄手法，以假代真，以劣代优。

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