Chinese word

自作聪明

Pronunciation

Pinyinzì zuò cōng míng

Meaning

  • idiomthink oneself clever

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.

Illustration for 自作聪明 (think oneself clever)

More examples

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.

Core concept

A person makes a clever-looking move alone, and the move creates trouble instead of solving the problem.

Common phrases

  • 别再自作聪明bié zài zì zuò cōng míng

    stop thinking you're clever

  • 不要自作聪明bú yào zì zuò cōng míng

    don't think you're clever

Similar words

自作主张zì zuò zhǔ zhāng: Making decisions and carrying them out without consulting other people.
自以为是zì yǐ wéi shì: Being so sure one's own view is right that other people's opinions are ignored.
独断专行dú duàn zhuān xíng: Making decisions alone and forcing them through while ignoring other people's views.
自不量力zì bú liàng lì: Overestimating one's abilities and attempting something beyond them, often ending in failure.

Definition in Chinese

自以为聪明而故作机灵，擅自提出办法或行动但常导致问题，用于批评轻率表现。zì yǐ wéi cōng míng ér gù zuò jī líng shàn zì tí chū bàn fǎ huò xíng dòng dàn cháng dǎo zhì wèn tí yòng yú pī píng qīng shuài biǎo xiàn

Word origin

自 (zì, "self") + 作 (zuò, "act") + 聪明 (cōngmíng, "clever") presents someone acting clever on their own, which gives the idiom its critical sense.

Usage tips

  • 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.

Other meanings

  • act smartidiom
  • show off one's clevernessidiom

Word lists with this word