📖 Meaning
Refers to disaster or conflict erupting from within one's own household or inner circle. The 'screen wall' (萧墙) was a small wall inside the gate of an ancient palace — trouble starting there means the threat comes from within, not from outside. It is used to describe internal strife, betrayal, or discord within a family, organization, or state.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from a stele inscription written by Yu Xin (庾信) of the Northern Zhou dynasty (6th century CE), titled 'Zhou Da Jiangjun Sima Yi Shendao Bei' (Stele for the Spirit Path of Grand General Sima Yi of Zhou). The line reads: '时值乱离，衅起萧墙' — 'In times of chaos and separation, strife arose from within the screen wall.' The screen wall was a feature of noble residences, metaphorically representing the inner court or household. The phrase was later popularized as a variant of the more common '祸起萧墙', which appears in the Analects of Confucius, where Confucius warns that the real danger to a state comes not from external enemies but from internal discord.
💡 Example Usage
家族企业衅起萧墙，兄弟反目，公司最终分崩离析。
Strife arose from within the screen wall of the family business — the brothers turned against each other, and the company ultimately fell apart.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 衅起萧墙
- Pinyin: xìn qǐ xiāo qiáng
- Literal Translation: strife, arises, from, screen, wall
- Category: Condition
- Characters: 4