Chinese word

吹牛

Pronunciation

Pinyinchuī niú

Meaning

  • verbbrag

Example

他总是在朋友面前吹牛。tā zǒng shì zài péng yǒu miàn qián chuī niú

He is always bragging in front of his friends.

Illustration for 吹牛 (brag)

More examples

面试时不要吹牛，诚实更受欢迎。miàn shì shí bú yào chuī niú chéng shí gèng shòu huān yíng

Don't brag during an interview; people prefer honesty.

Core concept

Inflated talk makes a person or personal story seem bigger and more impressive than it really is.

Common phrases

  • 爱吹牛ài chuī niú

    love to brag

  • 在重要场合吹牛zài zhòng yào chǎng hé chuī niú

    brag in important situations

Similar words

自夸zì kuā: Praises one's own abilities or achievements by emphasizing how good they are.
吹嘘chuī xū: Presents an exaggerated version of the truth to make oneself seem better.
夸大kuā dà: Describes a degree, amount, or importance as greater than it really is.
夸耀kuā yào: Shows possessions or social standing to gain admiration.

Definition in Chinese

用夸张或虚构的言语描绘自己或自己的经历，以显示比别人更优秀或引人注意，常见于口语非正式场合。yòng kuā zhāng huò xū gòu de yán yǔ miáo huì zì jǐ huò zì jǐ de jīng lì yǐ xiǎn shì bǐ bié rén gèng yōu xiù huò yǐn rén zhù yì cháng jiàn yú kóu yǔ fēi zhèng shì chǎng hé

Word origin

吹牛 (chuīniú, "brag") is a shortened colloquial form built around the image of blowing up cowhide, which leads to the sense of making one's stories seem bigger than reality.

Usage tips

  • The tone depends strongly on the relationship: a laugh can make the remark teasing, while a serious tone can make it sound like criticism of the speaker's honesty.

Other meanings

  • exaggerateverb
  • show offverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 吹牛皮chuī niú píbraggingnoun

Word lists with this word