📖 Meaning
Originally a metaphor for brotherly love and mutual support, this idiom later came to mean substituting one thing or person for another, or taking the blame on behalf of someone else. It is a variant of the more common idiom 李代桃僵. The image evokes a peach tree dying so that a plum tree may take its place.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom derives from an ancient Han dynasty folk poem in the anthology Yuefu (乐府), titled 'Song of the Plums' (鸡鸣). The poem describes how a peach tree dies and a plum tree stands in its place, originally praising the deep bond of brotherhood and willingness to sacrifice for one another. Over centuries, the metaphor shifted from brotherly devotion to the broader concept of substitution or scapegoating. The variant form 桃僵李代 reverses the character order but carries the same meaning as 李代桃僵.
💡 Example Usage
出了问题他总让别人桃僵李代，自己从不担责。
When problems arise, he always makes others take the fall for him and never takes responsibility himself.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 桃僵李代
- Pinyin: táo jiāng lǐ dài
- Literal Translation: peach, stiff, plum, replace
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4