拆台

拆臺
chāitái
verb #46,239

Meanings

  1. 1 to undermine someone
  2. 2 to cut the ground from under someone
  3. 3 to pull the rug out (literally: dismantle the stage)

Examples

HSK 4
Xiōngdì zhījiān bié hùxiāng chāitái.
Brothers shouldn't sabotage each other.
HSK 6
Huìshàng tā chùchù gěi wǒ chāitái.
He undercut me at every turn in the meeting.
HSK 7-9
Wǒzhèng yào jièshào fāng'àn, tā yíjùhuà jiù chāitái le.
I was about to pitch the plan - one line from him and it fell apart.

Tips

history
Defined as 'destructive tactics to topple a person or group or derail an effort'. The image is theatrical - literally dismantling the stage mid-performance, so the other actor crashes. Preserved in Peking opera jargon before becoming everyday vocab.
usage
Antonym: 捧场 (to show support / be a good audience). A classic pair in office politics - one 捧场 partner makes you look good, one 拆台 rival makes you look foolish.

Stroke Order

chāi
tái