妄自菲薄

wàngzì-fěibó

idiom #39,662

Meanings

HSK 3

你能力很强，不要妄自菲薄。

Nǐ nénglì hěn qiáng, bùyào wàngzìfěibó.

You're very capable - don't sell yourself short.

HSK 4

她总是妄自菲薄，其实成绩很优秀。

Tā zǒngshì wàngzìfěibó, qíshí chéngjì hěn yōuxiù.

She's always putting herself down, but her results are actually excellent.

HSK 7-9

面对挑战，既不要妄自菲薄，也不能盲目自信。

Miànduì tiǎozhàn, jì bùyào wàngzìfěibó, yě bùnéng mángmù zìxìn.

Facing a challenge, don't underestimate yourself but don't be blindly overconfident either.

history

Coined by 诸葛亮 in 《前出师表》 (Three Kingdoms): 不宜妄自菲薄，引喻失义 - Liu Shan is warned not to belittle himself or use the wrong examples in court speech.

mistakes

菲 here is read fěi (third tone) meaning 'meager.' It's NOT the fēi of 菲律宾 (Philippines).

妄 wàng

自 zì

菲 fēi

薄 báo