Chinese Conversation · Level 77
90 words
Chinese word
言过其实
Pronunciation
Pinyinyán guò qí shí
Meaning
- idiomexaggerate
Example
他说的有点儿言过其实。tā shuō de yóu diǎnr yán guò qí shí
What he said is a bit exaggerated.
More examples
别把事情说得言过其实。bié bǎ shì qíng shuō de yán guò qí shí
Don't exaggerate things.
Core concept
Words stretch beyond the facts they describe.
Common phrases
有点言过其实yóu diǎn yán guò qí shí
slightly exaggerated
把事情说得言过其实bǎ shì qíng shuō de yán guò qí shí
overstate things
Similar words
夸大其词kuā dà qí cí: Exaggerates facts or events, making them sound more dramatic than they really are.
夸夸其谈kuā kuā qí tán: Keeps making grand claims or boasts without real evidence to support them.
Definition in Chinese
说话把事实夸大，超过事情的实际情况，通常用于批评或指出言辞的夸张。shuō huà bǎ shì shí kuā dà chāo guò shì qíng de shí jì qíng kuàng tōng cháng yòng yú pī píng huò zhǐ chū yán cí de kuā zhāng
Word origin
言 (yán, "speech") + 过 (guò, "to exceed") + 其 (qí, "that") + 实 (shí, "reality") form a four-character idiom for speech that goes beyond the actual situation.
Usage tips
- In everyday conversation, saying this directly about someone can sound like a sharp criticism, so a softer expression suits situations where preserving rapport matters.
Other meanings
- overstateidiom