东窗事发
dōng chuāng shì fā
the plot is out; one’s misdeeds come to light
Character by character
东dōng
east
east
窗chuāng
window
window
事shì
plot
plot
发fā
exposed
exposed
Example
他用公款炒股好几年，直到审计时才东窗事发。
He had been playing the stock market with public money for years, and it only came to light in an audit.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
From a legend recorded in the Yuan dynasty: the Song chancellor Qin Hui (秦桧) and his wife plotted the death of the general Yue Fei (岳飞) by their east window, and after Qin died a Daoist met him in the underworld, where Qin begged him to tell his wife that the east-window plot was out. Used of wrongdoing, usually long hidden, that is finally exposed.
Learn this in Lesson 197 · HSK 7–9: 监察委员会 (The supervision commissions)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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