城门失火，殃及池鱼

Traditional: 城門失火，殃及池魚

chéng mén shī huǒ , yāng jí chí yú

Dictionary entry

a fire in the city gates is also a calamity for the fish in the moat (idiom); the bystander will also suffer

What does 城门失火，殃及池鱼 mean?

城门失火，殃及池鱼 (chéng mén shī huǒ , yāng jí chí yú) has the following dictionary meaning.

1a fire in the city gates is also a calamity for the fish in the moat (idiom); the bystander will also suffer

2fig. you can't escape responsibility for your actions

3ask not for whom the bell tolls - it tolls for thee

Character breakdown

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城chéngcity walls · city 门Ménsurname Men 失shīto lose · to miss 火Huǒsurname Huo 殃yāngcalamity 及jíand · to reach 池Chísurname Chi 鱼Yúsurname Yu

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How to pronounce 城门失火，殃及池鱼

城门失火，殃及池鱼

chéng mén shī huǒ , yāng jí chí yú

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Base dictionary data: CC-CEDICT · CC BY-SA 4.0.