卖弄

• Pinyin: mài nong
• Hanzi breakdown: 卖 = 十 + 贝 (shell/money) + 出 (exit/out) — displaying outwardly for sale; 弄 = 王 (jade/king) + 廾 (two hands) — to play or manipulate with both hands

Meaning

To show off; to make an ostentatious display of one's skills, knowledge, or possessions in order to impress others. Carries a slightly negative or ironic connotation.

Implies showing off in a way that others find excessive or irritating. Often used with 才学 (learning), 口才 (eloquence), or 技巧 (skill). The negative undertone suggests the display is perceived as unnecessary by observers.

Examples

1. 他习惯在课堂上卖弄才学，总是抢先回答问题，久而久之令同学们颇为反感。 He has a habit of showing off his knowledge in class and always rushes to answer first; over time, it really put his classmates off.
2. 她不喜欢那种爱卖弄学识的人，认为真正有才华的人往往低调谦逊，不需要靠炫耀来证明自己。 She doesn’t like people who love to show off what they know; she believes truly talented people are often modest and don’t need to prove themselves through flaunting.
3. 导师提醒他，论文写作应当言之有物，切忌卖弄辞藻而忽视了核心论点的深度与逻辑。 His advisor reminded him that academic writing should be substantive, and that he should avoid showing off with fancy wording while neglecting the depth and logic of the main argument.

Usage Guide

Context: character description, social criticism, education

Tone: ironic

Do Say

• 在正式场合引用过多生僻典故不是博学的表现，而是一种刻意卖弄，反而会让听众觉得你在居高临下、故作高深。(Citing too many obscure allusions in formal settings is not a display of erudition but a deliberate act of showing off, which will make the audience feel you are being condescending and pretentious.)
• 她在朋友聚会上不停地卖弄自己的海外经历，让周围的人感到十分不自在，纷纷找借口离开。(She kept showing off her overseas experiences at the friends' gathering, making everyone around her feel quite uncomfortable, prompting them to make excuses to leave one by one.)

Don't Say

• 将卖弄与展示或表现混用 — 卖弄 carries a negative connotation of excessive, irritating self-display; neutral or positive self-presentation should use 展示, 表现, or 展现 instead

Origin & History

卖 (to sell/display) + 弄 (to play/manipulate) — to 'sell' one's skills by putting them on deliberate display; to play up one's abilities for effect

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal