We want to help you study Chinese for free! This series spotlights idioms and proverbs, known for their meaning and use. Learn about 「網漏吞舟」 below.
We’re presenting the idiom 「網漏吞舟」 this time—its explanation and use are detailed below.
Net: fishing net, a metaphor for the legal net; swallow the boat: the big fish that swallows the boat, a metaphor for great treachery. The big fish that could have swallowed the boat escaped from the net. It is a metaphor that the law is too lenient, allowing even serious criminals to escape.
The Mandarin pronunciation of this idiom is :
wǎng lòu tūn zhōu
while its Cantonese pinyin is :
mong5 lau6 tan1 jau1
Chinese idioms come in large numbers, with diverse meanings and usages, offering endless learning opportunities. We hope these resources make it easier for you to study Chinese.
