中饱私囊
zhōng bǎo sī náng
to line one’s own pockets (with money passing through one’s hands)
Character by character
中zhōng
middle
middle
饱bǎo
stuffed
stuffed
私sī
private
private
囊náng
purse
purse
Example
他利用管理救灾资金的机会中饱私囊，最后被开除了公职。
He used his job managing disaster-relief money to line his own pockets, and in the end he was dismissed from public office.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
中饱 is “filled in the middle”: money meant for others sticks to the person it passes through. So it is the idiom for skimming funds one handles (公款, 捐款, 补贴) rather than for taking bribes.
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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