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笑面虎

xiàomiànhǔ
phrase #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

HSK 5
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.
HSK 6
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.
HSK 6
这种笑面虎比当面骂人的还可怕。
Zhèzhǒng xiàomiànhǔ bǐ dāngmiàn mà rén de hái kěpà.
This kind of smiling tiger is scarier than anyone who curses you to your face.

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