障眼法 (zhàng yǎn fǎ) — a cover-up or diversionary tactic; a trick to c… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A ‘cover-up’ or diversionary tactic — a deliberate ploy to misdirect attention and hide the real truth or intent.

noun

a cover-up or diversionary tactica trick to conceal the truth by misdirection

Examples

障眼法。
Mó shù shī de zhàng yǎn fǎ ràng guān zhòng yǐ wéi yìng bì xiāo shī le.
The magician's sleight of hand made the audience think the coin had disappeared.
障眼法，。
Zhè ge gōng sī yòng cái wù zào jiǎ dāng zhàng yǎn fǎ, yǎn gài le jù é kuī sǔn.
The company used accounting fraud as a cover-up to hide massive losses.
，障眼法。
Bié bèi tā nà xiē huā yán qiǎo yǔ piàn le, nà zhǐ shì zhàng yǎn fǎ ér yǐ.
Don't be fooled by his sweet talk — that's just a diversionary tactic.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

障眼block the eyes

障zhàngblock眼yǎneyes

动宾Verb + object

法fǎmethod

障眼法 is a 法 (method) that 障 (blocks) the 眼 (eyes), a trick that hides what is happening.

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.

阝章障

Meaning part形符xíngfú

阝Written in full as阜fù

Sound part声符shēngfú

章

章zhāng障zhàng

Same sound today

The left part 阝, written in full as 阜, sits beside 章, which supplies the sound.

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

目艮眼

Meaning part形符xíngfú

目目mùeye

Sound part声符shēngfú

艮

艮gèn眼yǎn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

眼 combines 目, which is an eye, with 艮, which gives the character's sound.

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

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

廌廌zhìa type of antelope or caprid

Sound part声符shēngfú

盍

盍hé法fǎ

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

法's older form combined 氵 (water) and 廌 (a type of antelope or caprid), with 盍 as a sound part; later 廌 was dropped.

Appears in

Abstract Concepts

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