English–Chinese
“think oneself clever” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinzì zuò cōng míng
Example
别自作聪明，先听听别人的意见。bié zì zuò cōng míng xiān tīng tīng bié rén de yì jiàn
Don't think you're clever; listen to other people's opinions first.
How to say “think oneself clever” in Chinese
“Think oneself clever” in Chinese is 自作聪明 (zì zuò cōng míng).
A person makes a clever-looking move alone, and the move creates trouble instead of solving the problem.
Example sentences with 自作聪明
他总是自作聪明，结果闯祸。tā zǒng shì zì zuò cōng míng jié guǒ chuǎng huò
He always thinks he is clever and ends up causing trouble.
Tips for using 自作聪明
- In everyday conversation, this idiom usually criticizes an action that seems needless or counterproductive, so it is not a general compliment for initiative or intelligence.