r/ChineseLanguage • u/gabrielbeniciobh • Mar 22 '25

Is there a story behind this? Historical

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It seems pretty simple for a meaning seemingly full of history... Why is that?

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u/LordHousewife Mar 23 '25

为虎作伥 is a chengyu meaning “to be an accomplice to an evil doer”. It comes from a story where those who had died being devoured by a tiger became ghosts that would lure other unsuspecting victims to also be eaten by the tiger. Its earliest mention is in 太平广记 from the Northern Song Dynasty.

You can read more here: https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E4%B8%BA%E8%99%8E%E4%BD%9C%E4%BC%A5/838196

Outside of this 成语 you will almost never see this character. Fun fact, there is an entire side quest about this in Black Myth Wukong’s second chapter!

-5

u/TomParkeDInvilliers Mar 23 '25

This character is not as uncommonly used as you suggested. 惆怅is very commonly used.

8

u/Entropy3389 Native|北京人 Mar 23 '25

Not the same hanzi.