鱼目混珠
鱼目混珠 (yú mù hùn zhū) literally means “fish eyes as pearls” and expresses “passing fakes as genuine”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy. It originates from ancient Chinese literature and remains commonly used in modern Mandarin.
Also searched as: yu mu hun zhu, yu mu hun zhu,鱼目混珠 meaning, 鱼目混珠 in english
Passing fakes as genuine
Pronunciation: yú mù hùn zhū
Literal meaning: Fish eyes as pearls
Origin & Usage
This deceptive idiom describes passing off fish eyes (鱼目) as pearls (珠) through deliberate mixing (混), originating from Han Dynasty market regulations. Historical records mention how unscrupulous merchants would polish fish eyeballs to resemble valuable pearls, taking advantage of superficial similarities to deceive inexperienced buyers. The practice became so common that specific penalties were established for this fraud. During the Tang Dynasty, the phrase expanded beyond literal marketplace deception to describe any attempt to pass off inferior items as premium goods. Modern usage encompasses all forms of fraudulent misrepresentation, particularly situations where exploitation of superficial similarities enables deception about fundamental value.
Examples
English: "The seller tried to deceive customers by selling fake antiques as genuine artifacts"
Chinese: 卖家试图通过将假古董当作真品出售来欺骗顾客
Discover a new Chinese idiom every day with our iOS app.
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 鱼目混珠 mean in English?
鱼目混珠 (yú mù hùn zhū) literally translates to “Fish eyes as pearls” and is used to express “Passing fakes as genuine”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 鱼目混珠 used?
Situation: This idiom applies when describing situations involving passing fakes as genuine.
What is the pinyin for 鱼目混珠?
The pinyin pronunciation for 鱼目混珠 is “yú mù hùn zhū”.