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狐朋狗友

Mandarin · pinyin hú péng gǒu yǒu

a pack of rogues (idiom); a gang of scoundrels

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Characters in this entry

狐: hú · fox
朋: péng · friend, pal, acquaintance
狗: gǒu · dog, Canis familiaris
友: yǒu · friend, companion; fraternity

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–2–3–3 · hu2 peng2 gou3 you3

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

wu4 pang4 gau2 jau5

Cantonese word readings for 狐朋狗友. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(derogatory) disreputable friends; evil associates; gang of scoundrels

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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