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以假乱真 (yǐ jiǎ luàn zhēn) — to pass off fake as genuine; to confuse the fake with the real

Definition

Idiom: a fake is so convincing it confuses people into thinking it's real — emphasizes the skill of the forgery, not just the act of mixing.

idiom
to pass off fake as genuineto confuse the fake with the real

Examples

  • ，以假乱真。
    Zhè fú huà de fǎng zhì shuǐ píng hěn gāo, jī hū kě yǐ yǐ jiǎ luàn zhēn.
    The imitation of this painting is so skillful that it can almost pass as the original.
  • 以假乱真，。
    Tā yòng jiǎ bì yǐ jiǎ luàn zhēn, jié guǒ bèi jǐng chá zhuā zhù le.
    He tried to pass off counterfeit money as real, and ended up getting caught by the police.
  • 以假乱真，。
    Shì chǎng shàng de fǎng mào pǐn cháng cháng yǐ jiǎ luàn zhēn, xiāo fèi zhě hěn nán fēn biàn.
    Counterfeit goods on the market often mix the fake with the real, making it hard for consumers to tell them apart.

Origin

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape came from a drawing of a person carrying something; in 以, part of that person is still visible on the right.

Open 以 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
叚
叚jiǎ假jiǎ
Same sound today

假 pairs 亻 (person) with 叚, which gives the sound jiǎ.

Open 假 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 亂; 乱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
乚Written in full as乙yǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
𤔔
𤔔𤔔亂luàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 亂 contains 𤔔, a drawing of combing tangled threads, and 乙; the simplified 乱 is only a later shorthand, not the historical shape.

Open 乱 →

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
貝貝bèicowrie; shell
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂈
𠂈𠂈真zhēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

真 pairs 貝 (cowrie shell, used for the meaning) with 𠂈, which gave the sound and originally drew a headlong fall.

Open 真 →
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Idioms & Set Phrases

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