走狗烹

zǒugǒupēng
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 meritorious aides are killed off once their usefulness ends; loyal helpers discarded after victory

Examples

HSK 6
Bié qīngyì xiāngxìn lǎobǎn de chéngnuò, xiǎoxīn zǒugǒupēng.
Don't take the boss's promises at face value - watch out for being discarded once you're no longer needed.
HSK 7-9
Lìshǐ shàng kāiguó gōngchén zǒugǒupēng de lìzi bǐbǐjiēshì.
History is full of founding heroes cast aside once the dynasty was secured.

Tips

history
From 《史记·越王勾践世家》: 狡兔死走狗烹飞鸟尽良弓藏 - when the crafty rabbits are dead, the hunting dogs are cooked; when the flying birds are gone, the good bow is stored away. Fan Li's warning to Wen Zhong after Goujian's victory.

Stroke Order

zǒu
gǒu
pēng