笑面虎 (xiào miàn hǔ) — a wolf in sheep's clothing; someone who is outwardly kind but inwardly malicious

Definition

Literally 'smiling-face tiger': a person who looks friendly on the outside but is actually dangerous or mean — the Chinese equivalent of a 'wolf in sheep's clothing'.

noun
a wolf in sheep's clothingsomeone who is outwardly kind but inwardly malicious
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 笑面虎
    Nà ge jīng lǐ kàn qǐ lái hé ǎi, dà jiā dōu shuō tā shì gè xiào miàn hǔ.
    That manager seems kind, but everyone says he's a wolf in sheep's clothing.
  • 笑面虎
    Nǐ yí dìng yào xiǎo xīn tā, tā kě shì gè yǒu míng de xiào miàn hǔ.
    You must be careful with him; he's a well-known wolf in sheep's clothing.
  • 笑面虎
    Zhè bù xiǎo shuō lǐ de fǎn pài jué sè zhèng shì yí gè diǎn xíng de xiào miàn hǔ.
    The antagonist in this novel is precisely a typical wolf in sheep's clothing.

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