衣冠禽兽 yī guān qín shòu scoundrel

Explanation

衣冠禽兽，字面意思是指穿着衣帽的禽兽。比喻那些外表打扮得人模人样，但内心阴险狠毒，行为卑劣的人。

Literally, "yiguan qinshou" means "animals in clothes and hats." It is used as a metaphor for those who appear decent on the outside, but are insidious and cruel, with despicable behavior.

Origin Story

话说唐朝时期，有个书生名叫李瑾，他寒窗苦读多年，终于考中了进士。然而，他却是一个伪君子，表面上衣冠楚楚，文质彬彬，背地里却干尽了坏事。他贪赃枉法，欺压百姓，鱼肉乡里，搜刮民脂民膏，过着奢侈的生活。百姓们都恨他入骨，暗地里骂他是衣冠禽兽。一天，李瑾微服私访，来到一个偏僻的小村庄。他看到村里人生活贫困，心中暗自得意。突然，他看到一个年迈的老农正在田里辛勤劳作，他走上前去，想羞辱老农一番。老农抬头一看，认出了李瑾，便怒斥道：“你这个衣冠禽兽，祸害百姓，不得好死！”李瑾顿时恼羞成怒，想打老农，却被老农的儿子和乡亲们拦住了。乡亲们纷纷指责李瑾的恶行，李瑾无颜面对，灰溜溜地逃走了。从此，李瑾的恶行传遍了大江南北，人们都用“衣冠禽兽”来形容那些外表道貌岸然，实际上卑鄙无耻的人。

huashuo tangchaoshiqi you ge shusheng ming jiao lijinyin ta hanchuang kudushu duonian zhongyu kaozhong le jinshi raner ta que shi yige weijunzi biaomianshang yiguan chuchuchu wen zhi binbin bei di li que ganjin le huaishi ta tanzang wangfa qiyaya baixing yuru xiangli sougua minzhi mingao guozhe shechi de shenghuo baixing men dou hen ta rugu暗地里骂他是衣冠禽兽 yitian lijinyin weifu sifang lai dao yige pianpi de xiaocunzhuang ta kan dao cunli ren shenghuo pinkun xinzhong anzi deyi turan ta kan dao yige nianmai de laonong zhengzai tianli xinqin laozuo ta zou shang qian qu xiang xiurong laonong yifang laonong taitou yikan renchule lijinyin bian nuchi dao ni zhe ge yiguanqinshou huhai baixing bude haosi lijinyin danshi naoxiu chengnu xiang da laonong que bei laonong de erzi he xiangqin men lan zhu le xiangqin men fenfen zhize lijinyin de exing lijinyin wuyan mian dui huiliuliu de taole zou le congci lijinyin de exing chuanbian le dajiang nanbei renmen dou yong yiguanqinshou lai xingrong na xie waibiaodao mao anran shijishang bipi wuchi de ren

During the Tang Dynasty, there was a scholar named Li Jin who, after many years of study, finally passed the imperial examination and became a jinshi. However, he was a hypocrite, outwardly refined and cultured, but secretly committed many evil deeds. He was corrupt, oppressed the people, and lived a life of luxury. The people hated him and secretly cursed him as an "yiguan qinshou." One day, Li Jin went incognito to a remote village. Seeing the poverty of the villagers, he felt a secret sense of triumph. Suddenly, he saw an elderly farmer working diligently in the fields. He approached, intending to humiliate the old man. The farmer looked up, recognized Li Jin, and angrily rebuked him: "You yiguan qinshou, you harm the people, you will come to no good end!" Li Jin became enraged and tried to strike the farmer, but the farmer's son and fellow villagers stopped him. They denounced Li Jin's evil deeds, leaving him ashamed and fleeing. From then on, Li Jin's misdeeds spread throughout the land, and people used "yiguan qinshou" to describe those who appear virtuous but are actually base and shameless.

Usage

多用于讽刺那些外表道貌岸然，内心阴险卑劣的人。

duoyongyu fengci na xie waibiaodao mao anran neixin yinxian bilei de ren

Mostly used to satirize those who appear outwardly decent but are insidious and base at heart.

Examples

• 他表面道貌岸然，实际上却是衣冠禽兽。

  tabiaomian daomaoranran shijishang que shi yiguanqinshou

  He is outwardly respectable, but in fact a scoundrel.

• 那些衣冠禽兽，假仁假义，令人作呕。

  naxie yiguanqinshou jiarenjiayi lingren zuoyou

  Those hypocrites, pretending to be virtuous, are disgusting.

Related Idioms

• 人面兽心

• 狼心狗肺

• 披着羊皮的狼

Opposite Idioms

• 正人君子

• 谦谦君子