📖 Meaning
To deliberately sow discord and create conflict between people who would otherwise be united. It describes the act of spreading rumors or making trouble to undermine relationships and turn allies against each other.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom has no single identifiable classical source but has been in common use in Chinese for centuries. It combines two actions: 挑拨 meaning to provoke or stir up trouble, and 离间 meaning to drive a wedge between people. Throughout Chinese history, the tactic of sowing discord to weaken an opponent's alliances was a well-known strategy in political and military contexts, often discussed in works on statecraft and diplomacy.
💡 Example Usage
他在两兄弟之间挑拨离间，企图让他们反目成仇。
He sowed discord between the two brothers in an attempt to turn them against each other.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 挑拨离间
- Pinyin: tiǎo bō lí jiàn
- Literal Translation: stir up, drive apart, separate, alienate
- Category: Communication
- Characters: 4