我田引水

• 読み: がでんいんすい
• ローマ字: gadeninsui
• 漢字の分解: 我 (ga/ware) — I, self, ego; 田 (den/ta) — rice field; 引 (in/hi) — pull, draw; 水 (sui/mizu) — water
• 発音: /ɡa.den.in.sɯi/

意味

Self-serving argument; interpreting or presenting things in a way that benefits oneself. Literally, drawing water into one's own rice field.

A yojijukugo (four-character compound) used to criticise someone for twisting facts or reasoning to suit their own interests — similar in spirit to cherry-picking evidence. Common in political commentary, debates, and everyday criticism of biased or one-sided argumentation.

例文

1. 彼の主張はいつも我田引水で、自分に都合のよい事実しか挙げない。
2. 政治家の演説には我田引水な論理が目立つことが多い。
3. 我田引水な解釈をやめて、客観的な視点で考えてほしい。

使い方ガイド

場面: criticism, politics, debate

トーン: critical

起源と歴史

Classical Chinese proverb origin. The image of a farmer diverting an irrigation channel to water only their own field captures the essence of self-serving manipulation of shared resources or arguments.

文化的背景

時代: Classical–Modern

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal