厚此薄彼

hòucǐ-bóbǐ

idiom #73,263

Meanings

1 to favor one and slight the other
2 to show partiality
3 to treat unequally

Characters

generous; thick

that; the other

Examples

父母对孩子不应该厚此薄彼。

Fùmǔ duì háizi bù yīnggāi hòucǐ-bóbǐ.

Parents shouldn't favor one child over another.

公司分配资源时厚此薄彼，引起了员工不满。

Gōngsī fēnpèi zīyuán shí hòucǐ-bóbǐ, yǐnqǐ le yuángōng bùmǎn.

The company's unequal distribution of resources caused employee dissatisfaction.

老师对学生应该一视同仁，不能厚此薄彼。

Lǎoshī duì xuéshēng yīnggāi yīshì-tóngrén, bùnéng hòucǐ-bóbǐ.

Teachers should treat all students equally, not play favorites.

Tips

history

From the 梁书 (Book of Liang, 7th century): originally described differing mourning obligations for one's own family versus adopted-out relatives. Later generalized to any uneven treatment.

usage

Near-antonym of 一视同仁 ('treat everyone equally').

Stroke Order

厚 hòu

此 cǐ

薄 báo

彼 bǐ