📖 Meaning
The dog of Jie (a tyrant king of the Xia dynasty) barks ferociously at Yao (a legendary sage king). It is a metaphor for a minion who serves his master faithfully regardless of whether the master is good or evil. The idiom highlights blind loyalty that disregards moral judgment.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the 'Zhan Guo Ce' (Strategies of the Warring States), where it is said that the thief Zhi's dog barks at Yao—not because it esteems Zhi and despises Yao, but because a dog naturally barks at anyone who is not its master. The Han dynasty writer Zou Yang, in his 'Letter from Prison to the King of Wu,' echoed this idea, noting that even Jie's dog could be made to bark at Yao and Zhi's guest could be made to assassinate You. The metaphor was later popularized in Ming dynasty fiction, notably in Feng Menglong's 'Chronicles of the Eastern Zhou'.
💡 Example Usage
他不过是在桀犬吠尧，替暴君卖命还自以为忠义。
He is merely acting like Jie's dog barking at Yao—selling his soul for a tyrant yet fancying himself loyal and righteous.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 桀犬吠尧
- Pinyin: jié quǎn fèi yáo
- Literal Translation: Jie's, dog, barks at, Yao
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4