諺語 · a single proverb
偷梁換柱
Simplified: 偷梁换柱
What does 偷梁換柱 (tōu liáng huàn zhù) mean?
偷梁換柱 (tōu liáng huàn zhù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "steal the beam and replace the pillar." In use it means: A secret substitution. Changing the substance of something while keeping the appearance the same. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rat.
Literally: "steal the beam and replace the pillar."
The reading
The building looks the same. But the load-bearing beam is now a different piece of wood, weaker, cheaper. No one noticed because no one looks up. This is what happens when the core changes while the surface stays polished. Eventually the roof falls, and everyone is surprised except the person who swapped the beam.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Thirty-Six Stratagems 三十六計, Stratagem 25
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 偷梁換柱 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 偷梁換柱 (tōu liáng huàn zhù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Thirty-Six Stratagems 三十六計, Stratagem 25. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 偷梁換柱?
In Mandarin it is tōu liáng huàn zhù. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 偷梁換柱 aloud in Mandarin.