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zhǐ 指 lù 鹿 wéi 为 mǎ 马

指鹿为马 zhǐ lù wéi mǎ

to call a deer a horse; to deliberately distort the truth

Literally: point deer as horse

Intermediate 🐉 Animals & fables
🃏 Practise intermediate chengyu

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Origin

From the Shiji: the Qin minister Zhao Gao presented a deer to the emperor calling it a horse, to test which officials dared contradict him.

How to use it

Predicate; negative. 指鹿为马,颠倒黑白.

Example sentences

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  1. 明明是他的错，他却指鹿为马，说是我们弄坏的。
    Míngmíng shì tā de cuò, tā què zhǐ lù wéi mǎ, shuō shì wǒmen nòng huài de.
    It was clearly his fault, yet he twisted the facts and said we broke it.
    clearly is his (particle) mistake, he however point deer as horse, say is we make broken (particle)
  2. 指鹿为马的故事说的是秦朝的一个大臣。
    Zhǐ lù wéi mǎ de gùshi shuō de shì Qíncháo de yī ge dàchén.
    The story of calling a deer a horse is about a minister of the Qin dynasty.
    point deer as horse (particle) story tell (particle) is Qin dynasty (particle) one (measure) minister

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