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HSK 4 Chinese reading practice

为虎作伥

wèi hǔ zuò chāng

Helping the Tiger Hunt

A traveler discovers that the ghosts walking before a tiger are the spirits of people it once devoured.

RECOMMENDEDHSK 4
READ4 min
HANZI278
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文化
CULTURE

What is a 伥鬼?

In the Tang tale from Pei Xing's Chuanqi, preserved in the Taiping Guangji, a 伥鬼 is the ghost of someone eaten by a tiger who then serves the tiger and clears its path. 为虎作伥 is now used for helping a wrongdoer harm other people.

Key vocabulary11 words from this story
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Check your understanding

Answer three questions without looking at the English translation.

01老和尚让马拯的仆人下山买什么？
02伥鬼在老虎前面做什么？
03马拯最后发现老和尚原来是什么？
0 / 3questions answered
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Chinese idiom guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about 为虎作伥

What does 为虎作伥 mean in English?

为虎作伥 (wèi hǔ zuò chāng) literally means “become a chang ghost and serve a tiger.” It describes helping a powerful wrongdoer harm other people.

When is 为虎作伥 used?

Use 为虎作伥 when someone assists an evildoer and becomes part of the harm. For example: Creating fake accounts for the fraudster made him 为虎作伥.

What is the pinyin for 为虎作伥?

The pinyin pronunciation for 为虎作伥 is “wèi hǔ zuò chāng.”