Definition
天方夜谭 literally means 'Arabian Nights' and refers to the classic collection 'One Thousand and One Nights'. In modern Chinese, it is most often used as a metaphor for an absurd, fantastic, or highly improbable story — something so unlikely it could only happen in a fairy tale. You'll hear it to dismiss claims that sound unbelievable.
n.
Arabian Nights (the story collection)absurd storyfar-fetched talehighly suspect account
Examples
- 天方夜谭。tiān fāng yè tán shì ālābó zhùmíng de mínjiān gùshì jí.The Arabian Nights is a famous collection of Arab folk tales.
- 天方夜谭，。Tā shuō de huà jiǎnzhí jiùshì tiān fāng yè tán, méirén huì xiāngxìn.What he said is just an absurd story — nobody will believe it.
- 天方夜谭。Bié ná zhè zhǒng tiān fāng yè tán lái piàn wǒ le.Don't try to fool me with this kind of tall tale.
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