# 一丘之貉

yī qiū zhī hé

People who are equally bad

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Raccoon dogs from the same hill

**Register:** Critical · conversational

[People & connection](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/relationships)

## When to use it

Use to condemn people as sharing the same faults or corrupt behavior.

It is a harsh collective judgment and should not be used simply for people with similar interests.

## Understanding the expression

The shared hill places the animals in the same group, and the idiom turns that similarity into a condemnation. It typically dismisses an apparent distinction between people whose behavior is equally objectionable. The speaker is saying that changing from one to another offers no moral improvement. Evidence of the shared fault is important because the label is sweeping and hostile.

## Examples

这两个骗子互相指责，其实是一丘之貉。

### Traditional Chinese

這兩個騙子互相指責，其實是一丘之貉。

zhè liǎng gè piàn zi hù xiāng zhǐ zé ， qí shí shì yī qiū zhī hé 。

The two fraudsters accuse each other, but they are equally bad.

他们表面上竞争，背地里一起骗顾客，真是一丘之貉。

### Traditional Chinese

他們表面上競爭，背地裡一起騙顧客，真是一丘之貉。

tā men biǎo miàn shàng jìng zhēng ， bèi dì lǐ yì qǐ piàn gù kè ， zhēn shì yī qiū zhī hé 。

They appear to compete but secretly cheat customers together, making them no better than each other.

不能因为两人来自同一家公司，就说他们是一丘之貉。

### Traditional Chinese

不能因為兩人來自同一家公司，就說他們是一丘之貉。

bù néng yīn wèi liǎng rén lái zì tóng yì jiā gōng sī ， jiù shuō tā men shì yī qiū zhī hé 。

You cannot condemn them as equally bad just because they work for the same company.

那些靠造谣赚钱的账号，都是一丘之貉。

### Traditional Chinese

那些靠造謠賺錢的賬號，都是一丘之貉。

nà xiē kào zào yáo zhuàn qián de zhàng hào ， dōu shì yī qiū zhī hé 。

Those accounts that profit from spreading rumors are all equally objectionable.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E4%B8%80%E4%B8%98%E4%B9%8B%E8%B2%89)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=3&webMd=1&la=0)

## Keep exploring

- [一日三秋 yī rì sān qiū Feel a short separation as painfully long ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/yi-ri-san-qiu)

- [以身作则 yǐ shēn zuò zé Lead through one's own example ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/yi-shen-zuo-ze)

- [一视同仁 yī shì tóng rén Treat everyone with equal consideration ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/yi-shi-tong-ren)

- [一手遮天 yī shǒu zhē tiān Use overwhelming influence to keep others from knowing the truth ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/yi-shou-zhe-tian)

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