How do you pronounce 沾沾自喜?

沾沾自喜 is pronounced zhān zhān zì xǐ in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 沾沾自喜 literally mean?

Literally, 沾沾自喜 means “Smugly pleased with oneself”. It is used to mean “to be smugly pleased with oneself”.

Where does 沾沾自喜 come from?

沾沾自喜 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 沾沾自喜?

形容自以为不错而得意的样子。

沾沾自喜 — “To be smugly pleased with oneself”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 沾沾自喜?

形容自以为不错而得意的样子。

沾沾自喜 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be smugly pleased with oneself”. To be excessively self-satisfied, often over minor achievements or perceived superiority; to revel in one's own perceived accomplishments. Literally, “Smugly pleased with oneself”.

Frequency

沾沾自喜 Pronunciation and Pinyin

沾zhān
沾zhān
自zì
喜xǐ

沾沾自喜 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
沾	zhān	8	moisten, adhere, benefit
沾	zhān	8	moisten, adhere, benefit
自	zì	6	from, self, naturally
喜	xǐ	12	happy, joyful, like, prefer

Example Sentence with 沾沾自喜

小明在比赛中取得了一点小成绩，就沾沾自喜起来，完全忘记了自己还有很多不足。

Xiao Ming became smugly pleased with himself after achieving a small success in the competition, completely forgetting his many shortcomings.

Origin and Story of 沾沾自喜

During the Western Han Dynasty, Empress Dowager Dou, mother of Emperor Wu, sidelined Dou Ying. Dou Ying feigned illness and returned home.

Later, when the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms of Wu and Chu broke out, Emperor Jing appointed Dou Ying as a grand general to suppress the rebellion. Dou Ying showed little interest in the gold and silver bestowed by the emperor.

After quelling the rebellion, Dou Ying was enfeoffed as Marquis of Wei Qi. Empress Dowager Dou changed her opinion of him and intended to have him appointed prime minister. However, Emperor Jing, noticing Dou Ying's smug self-satisfaction, decided against it.

Idioms Related to 沾沾自喜

Synonyms of 沾沾自喜

Antonyms of 沾沾自喜

More idioms starting with 沾

Questions about 沾沾自喜

What does 沾沾自喜 mean?: 沾沾自喜 (zhān zhān zì xǐ) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be smugly pleased with oneself”.
How do you pronounce 沾沾自喜?: 沾沾自喜 is pronounced zhān zhān zì xǐ in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 沾沾自喜 literally mean?: Literally, 沾沾自喜 means “Smugly pleased with oneself”. It is used to mean “to be smugly pleased with oneself”.
Where does 沾沾自喜 come from?: 沾沾自喜 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 沾沾自喜?: 形容自以为不错而得意的样子。

Copy the pinyin for 沾沾自喜 →Choose tone marks or tone numbers and copy the complete four-character reading.Read Chinese vocabulary and idiom guides →Continue with words, phrases, and idioms explained through natural examples.