Chinese idiom · 成语
含沙射影
Meaning
To spit sand at a shadow; subtle, indirect attacks.
Character by character
Origin and story
FolkloreEarly accounts describe a mysterious water creature called a yu, sometimes also named the short fox. The Soushen ji says it shoots sand at people and brings illness. Related accounts in the Baopuzi and Bowu zhi describe attacks that can harm someone through their shadow. These are traditions of supernatural creatures, not observations establishing that such an animal exists.
The idiom joins the image of sand held in the mouth with an attack on a shadow. In figurative use the target is injured without being openly confronted: someone makes insinuations or veiled accusations while avoiding a direct charge. That indirectness is the essential point.
Sources and further reading
In everyday life
如果你对我的工作有意见，请直接说，不要含沙射影。
If you have concerns about my work, please say so directly instead of making insinuations.
Critical; describes veiled attacks, not all indirect speech.