三百两 (sān bǎi liǎng) — (idiom) a clumsy denial that reveals the truth; protesting too much

Definition

Short for the idiom 此地无银三百两 — a clumsy denial that fools no one and actually reveals the truth. Use it when someone's protest makes the hidden thing more obvious, like 'protesting too much'.

idiom
a clumsy denial that reveals the truthprotesting too much
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，三百两。
    Tā yuè jiě shì yuè kě yí, jiǎn zhí shì cǐ dì wú yín sān bǎi liǎng.
    The more he explained, the more suspicious he seemed — it was a classic case of protesting too much.
  • ，三百两。
    Tā shuō bù xǐ huan nà jiàn lǐ wù, dàn dà jiā dōu kàn chū shì sān bǎi liǎng.
    She said she didn't like that gift, but everyone could see it was a transparent denial.
  • ，三百两。
    Lǎo bǎn shuō gōng sī méi cái yuán jì huà, yuán gōng dōu xiào zhè shì sān bǎi liǎng.
    The boss said the company had no layoff plans, and the employees all laughed at this clumsy cover-up.

Origin

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

三 is drawn as three parallel strokes, like 一 with one stroke and 二 with two.

Open 三 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
一一yī
Sound part声符shēngfú
白
白bái百bǎi
Same sound today

百 combines 一, which carries the number meaning, with 白, which provides the sound.

Open 百 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 兩; 两 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 兩 is described as combining 一 and 㒳. The simplified 两 is a later abbreviation.

Open 两 →

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