言過其實

Chinese

		to speak; to say; talk to speak; to say; talk; word	to cross; to go over; (experienced action marker) to cross; to go over; (experienced action marker); to pass; to celebrate; to live; to get along; excessively; too-	actually; as a matter of fact; in fact actually; as a matter of fact; in fact; actual situation; reality
trad. (言過其實)		言	過	其實
simp. (言过其实)		言	过	其实

Etymology

From Guanzi:

物固有形，形固有名。此言不得過實，實不得延名。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]

物固有形，形固有名。此言不得过实，实不得延名。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

From: Guanzi, 5^th century BCE to 220 CE

Wù gù yǒu xíng, xíng gù yǒu míng. Cǐ yán bùdé guòshí, shí bùdé yán míng. [Pinyin]

Things have inherent forms; forms have inherent names. Words should not stretch the truth, and truth should not be used to go after immoderate fame.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yánguòqíshí

(Zhuyin): ㄧㄢˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄕˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): jin⁴ gwo³ kei⁴ sat⁶
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): giân-kò-kî-si̍t

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yánguòqíshí
  - Zhuyin: ㄧㄢˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄕˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yánguòcíshíh
  - Wade–Giles: yen²-kuo⁴-chʻi²-shih²
  - Yale: yán-gwò-chí-shŕ
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yanguohchyishyr
  - Palladius: яньгоциши (janʹgociši)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɛn³⁵ ku̯ɔ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: jin⁴ gwo³ kei⁴ sat⁶
  - Yale: yìhn gwo kèih saht
  - Cantonese Pinyin: jin⁴ gwo³ kei⁴ sat⁹
  - Guangdong Romanization: yin⁴ guo³ kéi⁴ sed⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiːn²¹ kʷɔː³³ kʰei̯²¹ sɐt̚²/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: giân-kò-kî-si̍t
  - Tâi-lô: giân-kò-kî-si̍t
  - Phofsit Daibuun: gienkoirkisit
  - IPA (Taipei): /ɡiɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ ko¹¹⁻⁵³ ki²⁴⁻¹¹ sit̚⁴/
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /ɡiɛn²³⁻³³ kɤ²¹⁻⁴¹ ki²³⁻³³ sit̚⁴/

Idiom

言過其實

to overstate the facts; to stretch the truth; to exaggerate