蒙在鼓里

蒙在鼓裡

méngzài-gǔlǐ

idiom #8,900

Meanings

1 to be kept in the dark; to be unaware of what's going on
2 to be deceived; to be left out of the loop

Characters

to cover; to deceive; to be kept ignorant

Covered inside a drum - if you were trapped inside a drum, you couldn't see or hear what's happening outside.

Examples

HSK 2

大家都知道了，就我还蒙在鼓里。

Dàjiā dōu zhīdào le, jiù wǒ hái méngzài-gǔlǐ.

Everyone already knew, only I was kept in the dark.

HSK 3

别把我蒙在鼓里，告诉我到底怎么回事。

Bié bǎ wǒ méngzài-gǔlǐ, gàosù wǒ dàodǐ zěnme huíshì.

Don't keep me in the dark, tell me what's really going on.

HSK 7-9

他们瞒着她，把她蒙在鼓里。

Tāmen mán zhe tā, bǎ tā méngzài-gǔlǐ.

They hid it from her and kept her in the dark.

Tips

usage

This is a very common colloquial idiom. The structure is usually 被/把…蒙在鼓里. It's the direct equivalent of English 'kept in the dark' and is used in everyday conversation.

memory

Picture being sealed inside a big drum, you can't see anything, and all you hear is muffled noise. Everyone outside knows what's happening except you.

Stroke Order

蒙 méng

在 zài

鼓 gǔ

里 lǐ