Chinese word

自以为是

Pronunciation

Pinyinzì yǐ wéi shì

Meaning

  • idiomself-righteous

Example

别自以为是，听听别人的意见。bié zì yǐ wéi shì tīng tīng bié rén de yì jiàn

Don't be self-righteous; listen to other people's opinions.

Illustration for 自以为是 (self-righteous)

More examples

他的自以为是的态度让团队很难合作。tā de zì yǐ wéi shì de tài dù ràng tuán duì hěn nán hé zuò

His self-righteous attitude makes it difficult for the team to work together.

Core concept

The mind treats its own judgment as the only valid one, leaving no room for other views.

Common phrases

  • 自以为是的人zì yǐ wéi shì de rén

    self-righteous person

  • 自以为是的态度zì yǐ wéi shì de tài dù

    self-righteous attitude

  • 自以为是地认为zì yǐ wéi shì dì rèn wéi

    believe self-righteously

Similar words

骄傲自大jiāo ào zì dà: Showing pride in ability or position while viewing others as inferior.
自高自大zì gāo zì dà: Thinking highly of personal worth and behaving with an arrogant manner.
妄自尊大wàng zì zūn dà: Acting important and superior despite having no sound basis for that belief.

Definition in Chinese

不客观地以己见为准，认为自己总是对的，带有独断或自负的含义。bú kè guān dì yǐ jǐ jiàn wèi zhǔn rèn wéi zì jǐ zǒng shì duì de dài yǒu dú duàn huò zì fù de hán yì

Word origin

自 (zì, "self") + 以 (yǐ, "take") + 为 (wéi, "regard as") + 是 (shì, "right") forms an idiom meaning that a person regards their own view as right.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this word judges a person's attitude rather than a single mistake, so it can sound personal when used about someone unfamiliar or older.

Other meanings

  • opinionatedidiom
  • conceitedidiom

Opposites

Word lists with this word