床底下使斧头,不碍上就碍下床底下使斧頭,不礙上就礙下牀底下使斧頭,不礙上就礙下

swinging an axe under the bed: if it doesn't hit the top it hits the bottom

Saying俗语俗語

Two-part saying歇后语歇後語 · Rarely used now

Meaning: Said of a situation where relations are tangled and you offend someone above or below whichever way you act.
Wordplay: 碍 (ài) literally means to get in the way, here also to cause trouble with people above and below.

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Simplified: 床底下使斧头,不碍上就碍下
Traditional (Taiwan): 床底下使斧頭,不礙上就礙下
Traditional (Hong Kong): 牀底下使斧頭,不礙上就礙下
Pinyin: chuáng dǐxia shǐ fǔtóu,bú'ài shàng jiù ài xià
Bopomofo: ㄔㄨㄤˊ ㄉㄧˇ ˙ㄒㄧㄚㄕˇ ㄈㄨˇ ㄊㄡˊ,ㄅㄨˊ ㄞˋ ㄕㄤˋ ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄞˋ ㄒㄧㄚˋ

Written with HSK 4 vocabulary, at CEFR level B1.

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