勾心斗角

勾心鬥角

gōuxīn-dòujiǎo

idiom #27,826

Meanings

1 to scheme and intrigue against each other
2 cutthroat maneuvering; internal power struggles

Characters

to hook; to collude; to entice

to fight; to compete

corner; angle; horn

Examples

职场中充满了勾心斗角，让人心力交瘁。

Zhíchǎng zhōng chōngmǎn le gōuxīndòujiǎo, ràng rénxīn lì jiāo cuì.

The workplace is full of scheming and power struggles, which is exhausting.

她不喜欢参与同事间的勾心斗角。

Tā bù xǐhuan cānyù tóngshì jiān de gōuxīndòujiǎo.

She doesn't like to get involved in the scheming among colleagues.

Tips

history

Originally from the Tang dynasty poet Du Mu's 阿房宫赋, where it described the interlocking eaves and beams of a grand palace — the architectural hooks and angles of the structure. Later the idiom shifted meaning to describe human scheming and rivalry.

memory

勾 = hook/scheme, 心 = heart/mind, 斗 = fight, 角 = corner/angle. 'Hooking minds and fighting corners' — people using every trick and angle to get ahead of each other.

Stroke Order

勾 gōu

心 xīn

斗 dǒu

角 jiǎo