吹牛

• 拼音: chuī niú
• 汉字拆解: 吹 = 口 (mouth) + 欠 (phonetic) = to blow; 牛 = pictograph of a cow

含义

To brag; to boast; to talk big. Exaggerating or making empty claims.

A very common colloquial expression. 吹牛皮 is the full form. Can be used playfully among friends or critically when someone is obviously lying. 吹牛不打草稿 (bragging without drafting) means bragging shamelessly.

例句

1. 他又在吹牛说自己认识多少名人。
2. 别听他吹牛，他根本没那么厉害。
3. 大家都知道他喜欢吹牛，没人当真。

用法指南

语境: casual, critical, playful

语气: casual

正确说法

• 你是真的还是在吹牛？(Are you serious or just bragging?)
• 我不是吹牛，这件事我真的能做到。(I'm not bragging; I really can do this.)

错误说法

• 在正式场合使用 (Don't use in formal settings — use 夸大其词 or 言过其实 instead)

起源与历史

Originally 吹牛皮 (blow up a cowhide). In ancient times, cowhide rafts were inflated for crossing rivers. 吹牛皮 came to mean making something bigger than it is — exaggerating.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal