zì qī qī rén
“To deceive oneself and deceive others”
Meaning: To deceive oneself as well as others; self-deception; to fool oneself and others; to be in denial
The idiom 自欺欺人 comes from Confucian philosophy, particularly from Zhu Xi's teachings.
It describes the psychological state of deceiving oneself while also trying to deceive others.
The phrase emphasizes that self-deception is ultimately unsustainable and will be exposed.
It teaches the importance of honesty with oneself and others, and warns against living in denial.
自欺欺人，终不可久。
This idiom is used to describe the act of deceiving oneself while also trying to deceive others.
It emphasizes that self-deception is ultimately unsustainable and will be exposed.
The idiom is often used to criticize people who are in denial or who try to fool themselves and others about reality.
Don't confuse this with simple mistakes or misunderstandings. It specifically refers to the deliberate act of deceiving oneself while also trying to deceive others, emphasizing self-deception and denial.
他明明知道错了，却还在自欺欺人，不肯承认。
Tā míngmíng zhīdào cuò le, què hái zài zì qī qī rén, bù kěn chéngrèn.
He clearly knows he's wrong, but he's still deceiving himself and others, refusing to admit it.
不要自欺欺人了，事实就摆在眼前。
Bùyào zì qī qī rén le, shìshí jiù bǎi zài yǎnqián.
Don't deceive yourself and others. The facts are right in front of you.
她一直在自欺欺人，不愿意面对现实。
Tā yīzhí zài zì qī qī rén, bù yuànyì miànduì xiànshí.
She has been deceiving herself and others, unwilling to face reality.
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自欺欺人 literally means "to deceive oneself and deceive others." Figuratively, it means self-deception, to fool oneself and others, or to be in denial. It describes the act of deceiving oneself while also trying to deceive others about reality.
Both idioms describe self-deception, but 自欺欺人 emphasizes the general act of deceiving oneself and others, while 掩耳盗铃 specifically refers to the foolish act of thinking that covering one's own ears will prevent others from hearing. 自欺欺人 is more general, 掩耳盗铃 is more specific and visual.
Use 自欺欺人 when criticizing someone who is in denial or self-deceiving. For example: "不要自欺欺人了，事实就摆在眼前" (Don't deceive yourself and others, the facts are right in front of you).
Yes, 自欺欺人 has a negative connotation. It's used to criticize the act of deceiving oneself and others, emphasizing that self-deception is ultimately unsustainable and harmful.
自欺欺人 is considered intermediate level. It uses relatively common characters (自 HSK2, 欺 HSK5, 人 HSK1), and the concept of self-deception is universal. The idiom is commonly used in modern Chinese.
