僵李代桃 — “To take the blame or suffer punishment in place of another”
僵李代桃 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to take the blame or suffer punishment in place of another”. To act as a scapegoat; to substitute one thing for another. Literally, “Plum takes the fall for peach”.
僵李代桃 Pronunciation and Pinyin
僵李代桃 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 僵李代桃
Origin and Story of 僵李代桃
Once upon a time, there were five brothers who were all idle spendthrifts. However, they gained the emperor's favor and were appointed as attendants (侍中郎), leading luxurious lives. One of the brothers committed a crime, and the others began to quarrel and scheme against each other.
Someone then used a poem to comment on the situation: 'The peach grows by the well, a plum tree stands beside the peach. When worms gnaw at the peach's roots, the plum tree stiffens and dies in its stead. Trees can sacrifice themselves for each other, yet brothers forget their bond!'
Idioms Related to 僵李代桃
Synonyms of 僵李代桃
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Open the tool →Questions about 僵李代桃
What does 僵李代桃 mean?
僵李代桃 (jiāng lǐ dài táo) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to take the blame or suffer punishment in place of another”.
How do you pronounce 僵李代桃?
僵李代桃 is pronounced jiāng lǐ dài táo in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 僵李代桃 literally mean?
Literally, 僵李代桃 means “Plum takes the fall for peach”. It is used to mean “to take the blame or suffer punishment in place of another”.
Where does 僵李代桃 come from?
僵李代桃 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 僵李代桃?
比喻代人受罪责或以此代彼。亦作“僵桃代李”。