似是而非

Chinese

		to seem; to appear; similar to seem; to appear; similar; like; to resemble	be; yes; this	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	(be) not; wrong; blame (be) not; wrong; blame; Africa
trad. (似是而非)		似	是	而	非
simp. #(似是而非)		似	是	而	非

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): sìshì'érfēi

  (Zhuyin): ㄙˋ ㄕˋ ㄦˊ ㄈㄟ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ci⁵ si⁶ ji⁴ fei¹

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: sìshì'érfēi
    • Zhuyin: ㄙˋ ㄕˋ ㄦˊ ㄈㄟ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sìhshìh-érfei
    • Wade–Giles: ssŭ⁴-shih⁴-êrh²-fei¹
    • Yale: sz̀-shr̀-ér-fēi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: syhshyherlfei
    • Palladius: сышиэрфэй (syšierfɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ feɪ̯⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: ci⁵ si⁶ ji⁴ fei¹
    • Yale: chíh sih yìh fēi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsi⁵ si⁶ ji⁴ fei¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: qi⁵ xi⁶ yi⁴ féi¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiː¹³ siː²² jiː²¹ fei̯⁵⁵/

Idiom

似是而非

1. seemingly so, but not really; appears right, but in fact wrong; specious

   • 世多似是而非，虛偽類真，故杜伯、莊子義之語，往往而存。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     世多似是而非，虚伪类真，故杜伯、庄子义之语，往往而存。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: Wang Chong, Lun Heng (Discussive Weighing), 80 CE, translated based on Alfred Forke's version

     Shì duō sìshì'érfēi, xūwěi lèizhēn, gù Dùbó, Zhuāng Zǐyì zhī yǔ, wǎngwǎng ér cún. [Pinyin]

     In the world many things seem real, which are not; and there are many falsehoods, which are taken for truths. Thus the stories of Dubo and Zhuang Ziyi have been handed down.

   • 這些話，講起來好像有道理，實際上是毫無根據、似是而非的空談。 [MSC, trad.]
     这些话，讲起来好像有道理，实际上是毫无根据、似是而非的空谈。 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1938, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《論持久戰》 (On Protracted War), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

     Zhèxiē huà, jiǎng qǐlai hǎoxiàng yǒu dàolǐ, shíjìshàng shì háowú gēnjù, sìshì'érfēi de kōngtán. [Pinyin]

     Such remarks, however plausible, are actually groundless and specious empty talk.