老狐狸

lǎohúli
idiom #36,047

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 a wily old fox
  2. 2 a crafty and shrewd person
  3. 3 a sly operator

Examples

Gēn tā tánpàn yào xiǎoxīn, zhè jiāhuo shì gè lǎohúli.
Be careful negotiating with him — the guy's a wily old fox.
Dǒngshìzhǎng shì shāngchǎng shàng de lǎohúli, jiàn guò tài duō tàolù.
The chairman is an old fox in business — he's seen every trick in the book.
Bié xiǎng piànguò tā, tā shì zhī lǎohúli.
Don't think you can fool him — he's an old fox.

Tips

culture
Unlike English, the Chinese fox isn't just clever — it's morally suspect, tied to deception and seduction. 老狐狸 leans darker than "shrewd veteran."

Stroke Order

lǎo
li