害群之马 — “A black sheep”
害群之马 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a black sheep”. An individual who brings harm or discredit to a group or collective. Literally, “A bad horse that harms the herd”.
害群之马 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 害hài
- 群qún
- 之zhī
- 马mǎ
害群之马 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 害群之马
Origin and Story of 害群之马
The Yellow Emperor (Huangdi) is regarded as the ancestor of the Chinese nation. Once, the Yellow Emperor was on his way to Juzi Mountain but got lost in Xiangcheng.
He met a boy herding horses and asked him, "Do you know where Juzi Mountain is?" The boy replied, "Yes." The Yellow Emperor then asked, "Do you know where Dayuan lives?" The boy again said he knew.
The Yellow Emperor was delighted and said, "Child, you are truly remarkable, knowing both Juzi Mountain and Dayuan's residence. Let me ask you again, do you know how to govern the world?"
The boy replied, "Governing the world is not a big deal. A few years ago, I was traveling and fell ill. An elder told me, 'When you travel, you should wander out at sunrise and rest at sunset!' Now I'm much better and plan to go to more places. Governing the world is just like that."
The Yellow Emperor found the boy very clever and asked him again how exactly to govern the world. The boy reluctantly said, "Those who govern the world are no different from those who herd horses; they merely need to expel the bad horses that harm the herd!"
The Yellow Emperor was very satisfied with the boy's answer, called him a 'Celestial Master,' bowed to him respectfully several times, and then departed.
Idioms Related to 害群之马
Synonyms of 害群之马
Antonyms of 害群之马
Questions about 害群之马
- What does 害群之马 mean?
- 害群之马 (hài qún zhī mǎ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “a black sheep”.
- How do you pronounce 害群之马?
- 害群之马 is pronounced hài qún zhī mǎ in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 害群之马 literally mean?
- Literally, 害群之马 means “a bad horse that harms the herd”. It is used to mean “a black sheep”.
- Where does 害群之马 come from?
- 害群之马 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 害群之马?
- 危害马群的劣马。比喻危害社会或集体的人。