撒谎

• Pinyin: sā huǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 撒 = 扌(hand) + 散 (scatter) = to release/scatter; 谎 = 讠(speech) + 荒 (wild/false) = false speech

Meaning

To tell a lie; to deceive by uttering a falsehood. An informal, colloquial expression for deliberate dishonesty.

More colloquial and direct than 欺骗 (to deceive) or 虚报 (to falsely report). Commonly used in everyday speech, education, and interpersonal contexts. Often implies a habitual or casual form of lying rather than elaborate deception. Compounds: 撒谎成性 (pathologically dishonest), 当面撒谎 (lying to someone's face).

Examples

1. 老师告诉同学们，诚实是做人的根本，无论遇到什么困难，都不应该以撒谎来逃避责任。 The teacher told the students that honesty is the foundation of being a good person, and no matter what difficulties you face, you shouldn’t use lying to dodge responsibility.
2. 他明知道自己当天不在场，却在询问中反复撒谎，试图掩盖真相以逃脱应有的惩罚。 He knew full well he wasn’t there that day, yet he repeatedly lied during questioning, trying to cover up the truth and avoid the punishment he deserved.
3. 孩子第一次撒谎时，家长的处理方式至关重要，既要指出错误，也要引导孩子理解诚信的价值。 When a child lies for the first time, how parents handle it is crucial: they need to point out the mistake and also guide the child to understand the value of integrity.

Usage Guide

Context: interpersonal, education, ethics, daily life

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 他在面试过程中撒谎，虚报了自己的工作经历，结果入职后能力与岗位要求相去甚远，很快便被解雇了。(He lied during the interview, falsely inflating his work experience; when he joined the company, his abilities fell far short of what the role required and he was soon dismissed.)
• 研究表明，长期撒谎的人往往对自身的诚信状况缺乏清醒的认识，会逐渐失去他人的信任与尊重。(Research shows that habitual liars often lack clear self-awareness about their own integrity and gradually lose the trust and respect of others.)

Don't Say

• 这份报告撒谎了 — 撒谎 requires a human subject performing a deliberate act of lying; use 数据有误 or 内容失实 for documents containing false information

Origin & History

撒 (to scatter/release — 扌hand + 散 disperse) + 谎 (falsehood — 讠speech + 荒 wilderness/falsehood) — to release falsehoods into the world through speech

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal