Chinese Idiom

自相矛盾🔊

Zì Xiāng Máo Dùn
📚 Idioms⏱ 3 min read🎧 Audio

This idiom means being self-contradictory.

The Story 🔊

Chǔguó yǒu gè mài máo hé dùn de rén
楚国Chǔguó🔊有个yǒu gè🔊mài🔊máo🔊🔊dùn🔊de🔊rén🔊
Tā chuīxū shuō wǒ de dùn fēicháng jiāngù shénme máo dōu cì bù chuān
🔊吹嘘chuīxū🔊shuō🔊我的wǒ de🔊dùn🔊非常坚固fēicháng jiāngù🔊什么shénme🔊máo🔊dōu🔊刺不穿cì bù chuān🔊
Yòu shuō wǒ de máo fēicháng fēnglì shénme dùn dōu néng cìchuān
又说Yòu shuō🔊我的wǒ de🔊máo🔊非常锋利fēicháng fēnglì🔊什么shénme🔊dùn🔊dōu🔊néng🔊刺穿cìchuān🔊
Yǒurén wèn yòng nǐ de máo cì nǐ de dùn huì zěnme yàng ne
有人Yǒurén🔊wèn🔊yòng🔊你的nǐ de🔊máo🔊🔊你的nǐ de🔊dùn🔊huì🔊怎么样zěnme yàng🔊ne🔊
Tā yǎkǒu wúyán dá bù shànglái
🔊哑口无言yǎkǒu wúyán🔊答不上来dá bù shànglái🔊
English Translation:
In Chu, there was a man who sold spears and shields. He boasted: "My shield is so sturdy that no spear can pierce it." He also said: "My spear is so sharp that it can pierce any shield." Someone asked: "What happens if you use your spear to pierce your shield?" He was speechless and could not answer.

Key Vocabulary

自相矛盾
zì xiāng máo dùn
self-contradictory
máo
spear
dùn
shield
吹嘘
chuīxū
boast
坚固
jiāngù
sturdy
锋利
fēnglì
sharp

The Moral

Don't contradict yourself! This idiom means a statement or action that contradicts itself.

Cultural Insight

自相矛盾 comes from "Han Feizi" (韩非子).