顺手牵羊

Traditional: 順手牽羊

shùn shǒu qiān yáng

Dictionary entry

lit. to lead away a goat while passing by (idiom)

What does 顺手牵羊 mean?

顺手牵羊 (shùn shǒu qiān yáng) has the following dictionary meaning.

1lit. to lead away a goat while passing by (idiom)

2fig. to opportunistically pocket sb's possessions and walk off

Character breakdown

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顺shùnto obey · to follow 手shǒuhand · (formal) to hold 牵qiānto lead along · to pull (an animal on a tether)羊Yángsurname Yang

Reviewed examples

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How to pronounce 顺手牵羊

顺手牵羊

shùn shǒu qiān yáng

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