造假

• Pinyin: zào jiǎ
• Hanzi breakdown: 造 = 辶 + 告 (to make/construct); 假 = 亻+ 叚 (false/fake/borrowed)

Meaning

To fabricate; to forge; to falsify. To create or produce something fake, fraudulent, or counterfeit, especially documents, data, goods, or credentials.

A broad term covering academic fraud (造假数据), document forgery (造假证件), counterfeit goods (造假商品), and financial fraud (财务造假). 造假者 (forger/fraudster). 弄虚作假 is a related idiom with similar meaning but slightly more literary. Invariably negative in connotation.

Examples

1. 该研究机构因多名研究员被查出造假数据而遭到国际学术界的强烈谴责和广泛关注。 The research institute drew strong condemnation and widespread attention from the international academic community after multiple researchers were found to have falsified data.
2. 海关人员在例行检查中截获一批造假名牌商品，涉案金额高达数千万元人民币。 During a routine inspection, customs officers seized a batch of counterfeit luxury-brand goods, with the case amounting to tens of millions of yuan.
3. 他因在简历上造假、虚报学历和工作经历，试用期结束后被公司立即解除劳动合同。 He was fired immediately after his probation period for falsifying his resume and inflating his education and work experience.

Usage Guide

Context: fraud, academic integrity, consumer protection, law enforcement

Tone: negative/critical

Do Say

• 监管部门对食品行业中的造假行为采取零容忍态度，一经发现即吊销营业执照并移送司法机关。(The regulatory authorities adopt a zero-tolerance stance towards fraudulent conduct in the food industry: upon discovery, business licences are revoked and cases are referred to judicial organs.)
• 学术造假不仅损害个人声誉，更破坏了整个科研生态的公信力，危害极为深远。(Academic fraud not only damages individual reputations but also undermines the credibility of the entire research ecosystem, with far-reaching harmful consequences.)

Don't Say

• 造假地笑 — 造假 refers specifically to fabricating tangible things (documents, data, goods); use 假装 or 虚伪地 for feigning emotions or expressions

Origin & History

造 (to make/create) + 假 (false/fake)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal