通风报信 (tōng) — to secretly tip someone off; to leak inside information
Definition
An idiom meaning to secretly pass inside information to someone, usually for personal gain or as an act of betrayal. The tone is negative — it implies leaking or snitching, not a neutral heads-up.
idiom
to secretly tip someone offto leak inside information
Examples
- 通风报信，。Tā gěi fàn zuì xián yí rén tōng, jié guǒ bèi jǐng chá zhuā zhù le.He tipped off the criminal suspect, and as a result was caught by the police.
- 通风报信，。Kǎo shì qián yǒu rén xiàng kǎo shēng tōng, xué xiào zhèng zài diào chá zhè jiàn shì.Someone tipped off the examinees before the exam, and the school is investigating the matter.
- 通风报信，。Gōng sī nèi bù yǒu rén gěi jìng zhēng duì shǒu tōng, dǎo zhì xiàng mù shī bài.Someone inside the company tipped off a competitor, leading to the project's failure.
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