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

Huìshàng tā chùchù gěi wǒ chāitái.
He undercut me at every turn in the meeting.
Xiōngdì zhījiān bié hùxiāng chāitái.
Brothers shouldn't sabotage each other.
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