指桑骂槐

Traditional: 指桑罵槐

zhǐ sāng mà huái

Dictionary entry

lit. to point at the mulberry tree and curse the locust tree

What does 指桑骂槐 mean?

指桑骂槐 (zhǐ sāng mà huái) has the following dictionary meaning.

1lit. to point at the mulberry tree and curse the locust tree

2fig. to scold sb indirectly

3to make oblique accusations (idiom)

Character breakdown

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指zhǐfinger · to point at or to 桑Sāngsurname Sang 骂màto scold · to abuse 槐huáiChinese scholar tree (Sophora japonica) · Japanese pagoda tree

Reviewed examples

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How to pronounce 指桑骂槐

指桑骂槐

zhǐ sāng mà huái

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