Definition
添油加醋 is a four-character idiom that literally means 'add oil and vinegar' but is used figuratively to describe embellishing or exaggerating a story by adding extra details, often to make it more interesting or dramatic. It's similar to 'adding spice' or 'embroidering the facts' in English. You'll hear it in casual conversation when someone accuses another of not sticking to the plain truth.
id.
to embellish a storyto add dramatic or exaggerated details
Examples
- 添油加醋，。Tā jiǎng shìqing zǒng xǐhuan tiān yóu jiā cù, nǐ bié quán xìn.He always likes to embellish things when he tells a story — don't believe everything.
- 添油加醋，。Jìzhě zài bàodào zhōng tiān yóu jiā cù, dǎozhì dúzhě wùjiě le zhēnxiàng.The reporter added spice to the report, causing readers to misunderstand the truth.
- ，添油加醋。Míngmíng shì xiǎo shì, tā tiān yóu jiā cù yì shuō jiù chéng le dà xīnwén.It was clearly a small matter, but once she embellished it, it became big news.
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