心怀鬼胎

心懷鬼胎

xīnhuáiguǐtāi

idiom

Meanings

Tā xīn huái guǐ tāi, shuōhuà zǒng shì duǒduǒshǎnshǎn.

He's hiding something; his answers are always evasive.

Zhè liǎng ge rén gèzì xīn huái guǐ tāi, hézuò bù huì chángjiǔ.

Each has their own hidden agenda; this partnership won't last.

Huìyì shàng dàjiā biǎomiàn héqi, qíshí xīn huái guǐ tāi.

Everyone was polite at the meeting, but each had their own ulterior motives.

memory

鬼胎 literally means 'ghost fetus' — something unnatural you're secretly carrying inside. Anyone 心怀鬼胎 is pregnant with hidden schemes.

心 xīn

怀 huái

鬼 guǐ

胎 tāi