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笑面虎

xiàomiànhǔ
idiom #42,722

Measure Word

一只笑面虎 zhī

Meanings

  1. 1 a smiling-faced tiger
  2. 2 a two-faced person who hides cruelty behind a smile
  3. 3 a wolf in sheep's clothing

Examples

别信他的笑容，他是个笑面虎。
Bié xìn tā de xiàoróng, tā shì gè xiàomiànhǔ.
Don't trust his smile — he's a smiling tiger.
这种笑面虎比当面骂人的还可怕。
Zhè zhǒng xiàomiànhǔ bǐ dāngmiàn mà rén de hái kěpà.
This kind of smiling tiger is scarier than anyone who curses you to your face.
公司里最要防的是笑面虎。
Gōngsī lǐ zuì yào fáng de shì xiàomiànhǔ.
The ones to watch out for at the office are the smiling tigers.

Tips

memory
The image is sharp: a tiger that smiles before it pounces. The smile is the camouflage, the claws are real.
register
Pejorative, colorful. More cutting than just 虚伪 ('hypocrite') because it names the specific pattern: the warmer the smile, the colder the knife.

Stroke Order

笑 xiào
面 miàn
虎 hǔ