吹牛皮

chuīniúpí

phrase #23,022

Meanings

1 to boast
2 to brag
3 to talk big

Characters

to blow / to play (wind instrument)

cow / ox / bull

skin / hide / leather

Examples

他喜欢吹牛皮，但从来不做实事。

Tā xǐhuān chuīniúpí, dàn cónglái bù zuò shíshì.

He likes to boast but never does anything substantial.

别吹牛皮了，拿出证据来。

Bié chuīniúpí le, ná chū zhèngjù lái.

Stop bragging and show me the evidence.

Tips

memory

吹 means to blow, 牛 means cow/ox, 皮 means hide/skin. Inflating a cowhide was extremely difficult — so 'blowing up a cowhide' became a metaphor for empty boasting. The shorter form 吹牛 is equally common.

Stroke Order

吹 chuī

牛 niú

皮 pí