偷梁换柱

偷梁換柱

tōuliánghuànzhù

idiom #37,700

Meanings

1 to steal the beams and replace the pillars
2 to swap the real for the fake; to perpetrate a substitution scam
3 (figuratively) to switch things covertly

Characters

to swap; to change

Examples

骗子偷梁换柱，把假货当真品卖。

Piànzi tōuliánghuànzhù, bǎ jiǎhuò dàng zhēnpǐn mài.

The con artist switched the real goods for fakes and sold them as genuine.

他用偷梁换柱的手法篡改了合同。

Tā yòng tōuliánghuànzhù de shǒufǎ cuàngǎile hétóng.

He used a bait-and-switch trick to tamper with the contract.

Tips

history

Popularized by 《红楼梦》 chapter 97 (Cao Xueqin, Qing dynasty): Wang Xifeng swaps Daiyu for Baochai at Baoyu's wedding — literally substituting a bride. It's also one of the 三十六计 (Thirty-Six Stratagems).

culture

Stratagem #25 in 《三十六计》: in ancient military use, 梁 and 柱 were metaphors for the main columns of an enemy formation — swap them out and the whole structure falls.

Stroke Order

偷 tōu

梁 liáng

换 huàn

柱 zhù