千夫所指
qiān fū suǒ zhǐ
condemned by everyone; a target of public anger
Character by character
千qiān
thousand
thousand
夫fū
men
men
所suǒ
that which
that which
指zhǐ
point at
point at
Example
这家工厂偷偷往河里排放污水，成了千夫所指的对象。
The factory had been secretly dumping waste water into the river and became a target of universal condemnation.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
From the Book of Han (《汉书》): 千人所指，无病而死, one pointed at by a thousand dies without falling ill. Usually 成为千夫所指的对象 or 遭千夫所指; Lu Xun’s line 横眉冷对千夫指 turns it into defiance.
Learn this in Lesson 149 · HSK 7–9: 中国足球为什么难 (Why Chinese football struggles)
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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