东躲西藏

東躲西藏
dōngduǒ-xīcáng
idiom #22,235

Meanings

  1. 1 hiding here and there
  2. 2 constantly on the run
  3. 3 ducking and dodging everywhere

Examples

Táofàn zài chéngshì zhōngdōng duǒ xīcáng, zuìzhōng háishi bèi zhuāzhù le.
The fugitive hid here and there throughout the city, but was eventually caught.
Tā qiàn le hěnduō zhài, zhǐnéng dōngduǒxīcáng de guòrìzi.
He owed a lot of debts and could only get through his days by constantly dodging people.

Tips

memory
(east) + (to dodge/hide) + 西 (west) + (to conceal) — hiding in the east, concealing in the west. The east-west pairing emphasizes how the person is hiding everywhere, with no fixed direction of escape.

Stroke Order

dōng
duǒ
西
cáng