"Each trying to cheat the other" is a derogatory idiom that originates from Zuo Zhuan, Duke Xuan, Fifteenth Year. It originally referred to the mutual defense and mutual distrust between the State of Chu and the State of Song during negotiations in the Spring and Autumn period, and later came to generally mean that people deceive each other and play tricks on one another. In it, "er" means you, "yu" means to deceive, and "zha" also means to deceive; as a whole, it emphasizes that both sides are suspicious of each other, engage in intrigue, and lack good faith. This idiom is often used to describe interpersonal relationships, business competition, political struggles, or international relations, and can be used when parties adopt deception, concealment, betrayal, and other means to seek private gain. It reflects the importance attached to good faith in traditional Chinese culture, as well as criticism of hypocrisy and cunning behavior. It has a strong emotional coloring and carries an obvious tone of condemnation, reminding people to be alert to crises of trust and to advocate treating one another with sincerity.
📝 Example
1. In business negotiations, if both sides engage in deception and manipulation, they will only end up hurting each other in the end.
2. That team was plagued by internal deception and mutual suspicion, which led to slow project progress and a loss of morale.