zhǐ sāng mà huái

Traditional: 指桑罵槐

指桑骂槐 (zhǐ sāng mà huái) is a Chinese word meaning “lit. to point at the mulberry tree and curse the locust tree; fig. to scold sb indirectly; to make oblique accusations (idiom)”.

Meanings

  1. 1lit. to point at the mulberry tree and curse the locust tree
  2. 2fig. to scold sb indirectly
  3. 3to make oblique accusations (idiom)

Characters in 指桑骂槐

指zhǐ · finger桑sāng · (bound form) mulberry tree骂mà · to scold槐huái · Chinese scholar tree (Sophora japonica)

Related words

指finger指纹fingerprint戒指(finger) ring指控accusation指望to count on; to hope for手指finger指挥to conduct指挥官commander骂to scold骂variant of 罵|骂[ma4]指导to guide; to direct; to instruct指示to point out

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