BeginnerChinese Idiom (成语)

掩耳盗铃

yǎn ěr dào líng

“To cover one's ears while stealing a bell”

Meaning: To deceive oneself; to think that by hiding the truth from oneself, others won't notice; self-deception

Character-by-Character Breakdown

The Story Behind 掩耳盗铃

Source:《吕氏春秋·自知》

Period:Warring States Period (475–221 BCE)

The Bell Thief

During the Warring States period, the Fan family was destroyed, and their property was scattered.

A commoner found a large bell and wanted to steal it, but it was too heavy to carry away.

He decided to break the bell into pieces using a hammer so he could carry it away in parts.

However, when he struck the bell, it made a loud ringing sound that could be heard far away.

Fearing that others would hear the sound and come to take the bell from him, he quickly covered his own ears, thinking that if he couldn't hear it, others couldn't either.

Of course, covering his own ears didn't stop others from hearing the bell, and his self-deception was exposed.

Original Classical Chinese

范氏之亡也，百姓有得钟者，欲负而走，则钟大不可负；以椎毁之，钟况然有声。恐人闻之而夺己也，遽掩其耳。

How to Use 掩耳盗铃

This idiom is used to describe self-deception - when someone tries to hide the truth from themselves, thinking that if they don't acknowledge it, others won't notice either.

It emphasizes the foolishness of believing that ignoring a problem makes it go away.

The idiom is often used to criticize people who engage in wishful thinking or refuse to face reality.

When to use:

Use when someone is willfully ignoring obvious problems or truths
Often used to criticize self-deception or wishful thinking
Can be used as a warning against ignoring reality

Common Mistake

Don't use this idiom for simple mistakes or ignorance. It specifically refers to willful self-deception where someone knows the truth but tries to ignore it.

Example Sentences

他明明知道自己的错误，却掩耳盗铃，假装不知道。

Tā míngmíng zhīdào zìjǐ de cuòwù, què yǎn ěr dào líng, jiǎzhuāng bù zhīdào.

He clearly knows his mistake, but he's deceiving himself, pretending not to know.

公司的问题已经很严重了，我们不能掩耳盗铃，必须面对现实。

Gōngsī de wèntí yǐjīng hěn yánzhòng le, wǒmen bù néng yǎn ěr dào líng, bìxū miànduì xiànshí.

The company's problems are already very serious. We can't deceive ourselves; we must face reality.

你这样做就是掩耳盗铃，别人还是会发现的。

Nǐ zhèyàng zuò jiùshì yǎn ěr dào líng, biérén háishì huì fāxiàn de.

Doing this is just self-deception. Others will still find out.

Practice Writing

Generate a free printable worksheet with all 4 characters from this idiom.

Generate Worksheet (4 Characters)

Or explore each character:

掩stroke order 耳stroke order 盗stroke order 铃stroke order

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 掩耳盗铃 (yǎn ěr dào líng) mean?

掩耳盗铃 literally means "to cover one's ears while stealing a bell." Figuratively, it means to deceive oneself - thinking that by hiding the truth from oneself, others won't notice. It's a form of self-deception.

What is the story behind 掩耳盗铃?

The idiom comes from "Lüshi Chunqiu" (吕氏春秋). A thief found a large bell and tried to break it with a hammer. When it made a loud sound, he covered his own ears, thinking that if he couldn't hear it, others couldn't either. Of course, this didn't work.

How do you use 掩耳盗铃 in a sentence?

Use 掩耳盗铃 when describing self-deception. For example: "他明明知道错误，却掩耳盗铃，假装不知道" (He clearly knows the mistake, but he's deceiving himself, pretending not to know).

What is the opposite of 掩耳盗铃?

The opposite would be idioms like 实事求是 (shí shì qiú shì, to seek truth from facts) or 正视现实 (zhèngshì xiànshí, to face reality squarely), which emphasize facing truth and reality rather than self-deception.

Is 掩耳盗铃 difficult to learn?

掩耳盗铃 is considered beginner-friendly. It uses relatively common characters (掩 HSK5, 耳 HSK2, 盗 HSK5, 铃 HSK4), has a memorable story, and the meaning is straightforward. It's one of the most commonly taught Chinese idioms.