李代桃僵 lǐ dài táo jiāng

DEFINITIONS

  1. lit. the plum tree withers in place of the peach tree
  2. to substitute one thing for another
  3. to carry the can for sb

CHARACTERS

李 lǐ
HSK 3
plum; judge; surname
代 dài
HSK 5
replace, replacement (of person or generation); era, generation
桃 táo
HSK 5
peach; marriage; surname
僵 jiāng
HSK 6
stiff and motionless, stock still