后院起火 (hòu yuàn qǐ huǒ) — (idiom) internal trouble arising close to home; a conflict within one's own organization or family

Definition

Idiom for trouble erupting in one's own backyard — internal conflict at home, in a team, or organization, not from outside.

idiom
internal trouble arising close to homea conflict within one's own organization or family

Examples

  • 后院起火，。
    Gōng sī nèi bù hòu yuàn qǐ huǒ, lǐng dǎo céng bì xū jǐn kuài jiě jué.
    Trouble has arisen within the company; management must resolve it quickly.
  • 后院起火，。
    Tā máng zhe chǔ lǐ jiā lǐ de hòu yuàn qǐ huǒ, gēn běn méi xīn si gōng zuò.
    He's busy dealing with a family crisis close to home and has no mind for work at all.
  • 后院起火，。
    Rú guǒ tuán duì hòu yuàn qǐ huǒ, zài hǎo de jì huà yě huì shī bài.
    If conflict arises within the team, even the best plan will fail.

Origin

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 後; 后 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 後 showed 夊 (foot) bound by 幺 (thread), a foot caught by a rope and lagging behind; the simplified 后 is a later abbreviation, and 后 also has a different meaning.

Open 后 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
完
完wán院yuàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

院 is built from 阝, written in full as 阜, and 完, which gives the sound.

Open 院 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
走走zǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
巳
巳sì起qǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

起 is made from 走 and 巳: 走 is the part connected with walking or running, and 巳 gives the sound.

Open 起 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

火 is a simple drawing of a fire, with flames shown rising upward.

Open 火 →

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