互相推诿

互相推諉
hùxiāng-tuīwěi
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to pass the buck to each other (idiom)
  2. 2 to mutually shift responsibility
  3. 3 finger-pointing; shirking

Examples

HSK 4
Chū le wèntí, gè bùmén hùxiāng-tuīwěi, méi rén fùzé.
When problems came up, each department passed the buck - no one took responsibility.
HSK 7-9
Lǐngdǎo zuì tǎoyàn xiàshǔ hùxiāng-tuīwěi.
Bosses hate nothing more than subordinates shifting blame onto each other.

Tips

usage
Strongly pejorative - used in workplace, bureaucratic, and political critique. Collocates with 责任 (responsibility), 出了问题 (when something goes wrong), 各部门 (departments). Contrast with 各尽其责 (each fulfilling their duty).
memory
推 means 'to push (away)' and 诿 also means 'to push off onto someone else' - doubling the shove. 互相 makes it mutual, so everyone is shoving the hot potato sideways.

Stroke Order

互 hù
相 xiāng
推 tuī
诿 wěi