📖 Meaning
Describes a person who appears human on the outside but possesses a cruel, savage, or immoral nature on the inside. It is used to condemn someone whose outward appearance of civility masks a vicious or heartless character.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase appears in multiple classical texts. One early source is the *Book of Han* (*Hanshu*), where it is used to describe figures who look like people but act like beasts. The concept is also found in the *Zuo Zhuan* and later works such as the *Taiping Guangji*, reflecting an ancient belief that true humanity is defined by moral character, not physical form. A famous variation appears in the Tang dynasty tale of the Fox Spirit, reinforcing the idea that evil nature can lurk behind a human facade.
💡 Example Usage
那个伪君子人面兽心，表面上道貌岸然，背地里却干尽了丧尽天良的勾当。
That hypocrite has a human face but a beastly heart — outwardly respectable, yet behind the scenes he has committed all manner of unspeakable atrocities.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 人面兽心
- Pinyin: rén miàn shòu xīn
- Literal Translation: human face, beast heart
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4