Chinese phrase
言过其实 yán guò qí shí
Meaning
an exaggeration
When to use it
Describes a statement as more extreme than the facts support. It often gently points out that a claim is overstated without calling it completely false.
Example dialogue
你说这家餐厅是世界上最好吃的，言过其实吧？ nǐ shuō zhè jiā cān tīng shì shì jiè shàng zuì hǎo chī de yán guò qí shí ba
You said this restaurant is the best in the world. Isn't that an exaggeration?
可能有点夸张，我只是太喜欢了。 kě néng yóu diǎn kuā zhāng wǒ zhǐ shì tài xǐ huān le
It might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I just like it too much.