CHENGYU
含沙射影(hán shā shè yǐng)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- formal, critical
- Source:
- 晋·干宝《搜神记》
MEANING
- Literal
- to shoot sand at shadows
- Figurative meaning
- to attack others with veiled, insidious remarks
ORIGIN STORY
Legend told of a water creature called yu that spat sand from its mouth at the shadows of passersby, who then fell ill. The phrase came to mean wounding people by innuendo.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to make insinuations; to snipe”
EXAMPLES
有意见就直说，不要含沙射影。Yǒu yìjiàn jiù zhí shuō, bù yào hán shā shè yǐng.HSK6
If you have objections, say them plainly; do not shoot sand at shadows.
他含沙射影地攻击同事，大家都反感。Tā hán shā shè yǐng de gōngjī tóngshì, dàjiā dōu fǎngǎn.HSK6
His veiled attacks on colleagues disgust everyone.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It is always sneaky and malicious — not mere indirectness or tact.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
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TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01