糖衣炮弹

糖衣炮彈
tángyīpàodàn
idiom #68,691

Meanings

  1. 1 sugar-coated bullet
  2. 2 corrupting bait disguised as a sweet favor

Examples

Gànbù yào jǐngtì gèzhǒng tángyīpàodàn.
Officials must be on guard against all kinds of sugar-coated bullets.
Zhè fèn háohuá lǐwù qíshí shì gè tángyīpàodàn.
This lavish gift is actually a sugar-coated bullet.

Tips

history
Coined by Mao Zedong in his March 1949 report to the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee, warning that after victory the Party would face attacks 'wrapped in sugar coating' (糖衣炮弹) — bribes, flattery and bourgeois comforts. The phrase became standard anti-corruption shorthand.
usage
Strongly political register. Used in Party / government anti-corruption discourse and serious news writing; sounds heavy in casual speech, where 诱惑 or 套路 would fit better.

Stroke Order

táng
pào
dàn