📖 Meaning
To spy on others by peeking through curtains and eavesdropping through walls. It describes the furtive act of secretly watching and listening to others' private affairs. The idiom conveys disapproval of such sneaking behavior.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from the Song dynasty work 'Xi Chou Chang Yan' (西畴常言) by He Tan (何坦). The original text reads 'When walking far one should have a guide leading the way; when sitting at leisure one should not peek through curtains and eavesdrop through walls.' He Tan used it as a caution against petty spying behavior, advising that a person of cultivation should conduct themselves openly rather than secretly prying into others' affairs.
💡 Example Usage
他为人光明磊落，从不做帘窥壁听之事。
He is open and upright in character, and never engages in peeking through curtains or eavesdropping through walls.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 帘窥壁听
- Pinyin: lián kuī bì tìng
- Literal Translation: curtain, peek, wall, listen
- Category: Action
- Characters: 4