言過其實

Chinese

		to speak; to say; talk to speak; to say; talk; word	to cross; to go over; (experienced action marker) to cross; to go over; (experienced action marker); to pass; to celebrate; to live; to get along; excessively; too-	actually; as a matter of fact; in fact actually; as a matter of fact; in fact; actual situation; reality
trad. (言過其實)		言	過	其實
simp. (言过其实)		言	过	其实

Etymology

From Guanzi:

物固有形，形固有名。此言不得過實，實不得延名。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

物固有形，形固有名。此言不得过实，实不得延名。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Guanzi, 5^th century BCE to 220 CE

Wù gù yǒu xíng, xíng gù yǒu míng. Cǐ yán bùdé guòshí, shí bùdé yán míng. [Pinyin]

Things have inherent forms; forms have inherent names. Words should not stretch the truth, and truth should not be used to go after immoderate fame.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yánguòqíshí

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄢˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄕˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jin⁴ gwo³ kei⁴ sat⁶
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): giân-kò-kî-si̍t

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yánguòqíshí
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄢˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄕˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yánguòcíshíh
    • Wade–Giles: yen²-kuo⁴-chʻi²-shih²
    • Yale: yán-gwò-chí-shŕ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yanguohchyishyr
    • Palladius: яньгоциши (janʹgociši)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɛn³⁵ ku̯ɔ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jin⁴ gwo³ kei⁴ sat⁶
    • Yale: yìhn gwo kèih saht
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jin⁴ gwo³ kei⁴ sat⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yin⁴ guo³ kéi⁴ sed⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiːn²¹ kʷɔː³³ kʰei̯²¹ sɐt̚²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: giân-kò-kî-si̍t
    • Tâi-lô: giân-kò-kî-si̍t
    • Phofsit Daibuun: gienkoirkisit
    • IPA (Taipei): /ɡiɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ ko¹¹⁻⁵³ ki²⁴⁻¹¹ sit̚⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɡiɛn²³⁻³³ kɤ²¹⁻⁴¹ ki²³⁻³³ sit̚⁴/

Idiom

言過其實

1. to overstate the facts; to stretch the truth; to exaggerate