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似是而非 (sì shì ér fēi) — specious; apparently right but actually wrong

Definition

An idiom for arguments that 'look right but actually aren't' — surface plausibility masking real error. Used as an adjective (e.g., 似是而非的观点, 似是而非的说法).

phrase
speciousapparently right but actually wrong

Examples

  • 似是而非，。
    Tā de guān diǎn sì shì ér fēi, hěn róng yì ràng rén shàng dàng.
    His viewpoint is specious and easily tricks people.
  • 似是而非。
    Zhè zhǒng sì shì ér fēi de shuō fǎ zài wǎng luò shàng hěn cháng jiàn.
    This kind of specious claim is very common on the internet.
  • 似是而非。
    Bié bèi sì shì ér fēi de chéng nuò mí huò le.
    Don't be fooled by specious promises.

Origin

Characters in this word

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rénhuman
Sound part声符shēngfú
以
以yǐ似sì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

似 pairs 亻 (human) with 以, which gives the sound.

Open 似 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 是 →

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

The shape of 而 is a picture of a beard.

Open 而 →

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

The shape of 非 is drawn from two wings facing opposite directions. It later came to be used for going against or not being.

Open 非 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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