怀璧其罪 — “Guilty for possessing a treasure”
怀璧其罪 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to suffer harm or persecution because of one's valuable possessions or exceptional talent, which attracts envy or ill will”. Literally, “Guilty for possessing a treasure”.
怀璧其罪 Pronunciation and Pinyin
怀璧其罪 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 怀璧其罪
Origin and Story of 怀璧其罪
During the Warring States period, Zhang Chou, a minister from the State of Qi, was held hostage in the State of Yan. The King of Yan intended to kill him.
Zhang Chou seized an opportunity to escape but was caught by a guard at the border of Yan.
Zhang Chou, thinking quickly, told the guard that the King of Yan wanted to kill him because he possessed a precious pearl that the King coveted. He warned the guard that if he didn't let him go, he should claim that the guard had swallowed the pearl, and the King would then disembowel the guard to retrieve it.
Frightened, the guard had no choice but to let him go.
Idioms Related to 怀璧其罪
Antonyms of 怀璧其罪
More idioms starting with 怀
- huái怀yuān冤bào抱qū屈harbor a grievance
- huái怀cì刺màn漫miè灭too arrogant to seek others
- huái怀gǔ古shāng伤jīn今reflect on past, lament present
- huái怀tǔ土zhī之qíng情longing for one's homeland
- huái怀ān安bài败míng名Ruin reputation by pursuing comfort
- huái怀bǎo宝mí迷bāng邦possess talent but not serve the state
- huái怀shān山xiāng襄líng陵engulfing mountains and overflowing hills
- huái怀dé德wèi畏wēi威cherish benevolence and fear authority
- huái怀hèn恨zài在xīn心harbor resentment in heart
- huái怀è恶bù不quān悛harbor evil and refuse to repent
- huái怀cái才bù不yù遇have talent but no opportunity to use it
- huái怀cái才bào抱qì器possessing both virtue and talent
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Open the tool →Questions about 怀璧其罪
What does 怀璧其罪 mean?
怀璧其罪 (huái bì qí zuì) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to suffer harm or persecution because of one's valuable possessions or exceptional talent, which attracts envy or ill will”.
How do you pronounce 怀璧其罪?
怀璧其罪 is pronounced huái bì qí zuì in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 怀璧其罪 literally mean?
Literally, 怀璧其罪 means “Guilty for possessing a treasure”. It is used to mean “to suffer harm or persecution because of one's valuable possessions or exceptional talent, which attracts envy or ill will”.
Where does 怀璧其罪 come from?
怀璧其罪 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 怀璧其罪?
怀：怀藏。身藏璧玉，因此获罪。原指财能致祸。后也比喻有才能而遭受忌妒和迫害。