获兔烹狗 — “Catch rabbit cook dog”
获兔烹狗 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to discard or eliminate loyal and capable subordinates after they have served their purpose and are no longer needed; to turn on one's allies or benefactors once victory or success is achieved, often after a great achievement”. Literally, “catch rabbit cook dog”.
获兔烹狗 Pronunciation and Pinyin
获兔烹狗 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 获兔烹狗
Origin and Story of 获兔烹狗
During the late Spring and Autumn Period, Fan Li and Wen Zhong from the state of Chu went to serve as officials in the state of Yue. They assisted King Goujian, who had been defeated by King Fuchai of Wu. Through their diligent efforts, they eventually made Yue strong and ultimately destroyed the state of Wu.
Fan Li, understanding Goujian's true nature, chose to leave and became a merchant in the state of Qi, living anonymously. He wrote a letter to persuade Wen Zhong to depart as well, stating, 'When the cunning hares are killed, the hounds are cooked' (狡兔死，走狗烹).
Wen Zhong, however, did not heed the warning and was later put to death by Goujian.
Idioms Related to 获兔烹狗
Synonyms of 获兔烹狗
More idioms starting with 获
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Open the tool →Questions about 获兔烹狗
What does 获兔烹狗 mean?
获兔烹狗 (huò tù pēng gǒu) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to discard or eliminate loyal and capable subordinates after they have served their purpose and are no longer needed; to turn on one's allies or benefactors once victory or success is achieved, often after a great achievement”.
How do you pronounce 获兔烹狗?
获兔烹狗 is pronounced huò tù pēng gǒu in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 获兔烹狗 literally mean?
Literally, 获兔烹狗 means “catch rabbit cook dog”. It is used to mean “to discard or eliminate loyal and capable subordinates after they have served their purpose and are no longer needed; to turn on one's allies or benefactors once victory or success is achieved, often after a great achievement”.
Where does 获兔烹狗 come from?
获兔烹狗 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 获兔烹狗?
比喻事成之后排斥以至杀害有功之臣。亦作“狡兔死，良狗烹”。