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故弄玄虚

故弄玄虛
gùnòng-xuánxū
idiom #39,123

Meanings

  1. 1 to deliberately mystify
  2. 2 to play tricks to confuse people
  3. 3 to make something sound deeper than it is

Examples

HSK 4
别故弄玄虚了，直接说结果。
Bié gùnòng-xuánxū le, zhíjiē shuō jiéguǒ.
Stop being mysterious - just tell me the result.
HSK 6
他说话总是故弄玄虚，让人摸不着头脑。
Tā shuōhuà zǒngshì gùnòng-xuánxū, ràng rén mōbùzháotóunǎo.
He always speaks cryptically and leaves people baffled.

Tips

usage
Always negative - implies the speaker is padding or obfuscating to seem profound or to manipulate. Common retort: 别故弄玄虚 ('quit the mystification').

Stroke Order

故 gù
弄 nòng
玄 xuán
虚 xū