How do you pronounce 自作聪明?

自作聪明 is pronounced as "zì zuò cōng míng" in Mandarin Chinese.

自作聪明

Q: What does 自作聪明 mean?

自作聪明 (zì zuò cōng míng) literally means "Self make cleverness" and metaphorically means "Too clever for one's own good". It belongs to the Relationships & Character category of Chinese idioms.

Q: When is 自作聪明 used?

自作聪明 is used when The employee implemented unauthorized changes that created technical problems.

自作聪明 (zì zuò cōng míng) literally means “self make cleverness” and expresses “too clever for one's own good”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.

Also searched as: zi zuo cong ming, zi zuo cong ming,自作聪明 meaning, 自作聪明 in english

Too clever for one's own good

Pronunciation: zì zuò cōng míng Literal meaning: Self make cleverness

Origin & Usage

This is from the Book of Documents, which warns against making (作) oneself (自) clever (聪明) — that is, against substituting your own ingenuity for the established measure. The fault it names is not stupidity but misplaced confidence: the person is genuinely trying to improve on something and has misjudged their standing to do so. Unasked-for cleverness that has made things worse.

Examples

English: "The employee implemented unauthorized changes that created technical problems"

Chinese: 这名员工擅自实施了导致技术问题的未经授权的更改

Related Chinese Idioms

Similar idioms about relationships & character

明哲保身

míng zhé bǎo shēn

Protect oneself from danger wisely

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耳聪目明

ěr cōng mù míng

Perceptive and insightful

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通宵达旦

tōng xiāo dá dàn

Work through the entire night

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明枪易躲

míng qiāng yì duǒ

Open threats easier than hidden

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明察秋毫

míng chá qiū háo

Perceive tiny details

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明镜止水

míng jìng zhǐ shuǐ

Clear and calm mind

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以身作则

yǐ shēn zuò zé

Lead by example

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一鼓作气

yī gǔ zuò qì

Complete in one effort

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does 自作聪明 mean in English?

自作聪明 (zì zuò cōng míng) literally translates to “Self make cleverness” and is used to express “Too clever for one's own good”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.