What does 自圆其说 mean?

自圆其说 (zì yuán qí shuō) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to justify oneself”.

How do you pronounce 自圆其说?

自圆其说 is pronounced zì yuán qí shuō in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 自圆其说 literally mean?

Literally, 自圆其说 means “to complete one's own explanation”. It is used to mean “to justify oneself”.

Where does 自圆其说 come from?

自圆其说 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to the modern era. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 自圆其说?

圆：圆满，周全。指说话的人能使自己的论点或谎话没有漏洞。

自圆其说 — “To justify oneself”

自圆其说 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to justify oneself”. To make one's arguments or statements consistent and plausible, often to cover up flaws or lies. Literally, “to complete one's own explanation”.

Frequency

自圆其说 Pronunciation and Pinyin

自zì
圆yuán
其qí
说shuō

自圆其说 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
自	zì	6	from, self, naturally
圆	yuán	10	round, complete, smooth
其	qí	8	its, his, her, their
说	shuō	9	speak, say, explain

Example Sentence with 自圆其说

面对质疑，他努力自圆其说，但听起来还是有些牵强。

Facing doubts, he tried hard to make his story plausible, but it still sounded a bit far-fetched.

Origin and Story of 自圆其说

When Xiao Changgui, a Qing Dynasty naval officer, was patrolling the sea with his warship, he encountered pirates. Foreign warships helped capture 13 pirates and handed them over to China for disposition.

The Viceroy of Nanjing immediately dealt with the matter alongside Shi Qixiang, an expectant official.

Shi Qixiang firmly insisted that the Chinese side should exercise its sovereignty. Seeing that the Viceroy was displeased, he had no choice but to adjust his argument (self-justify), proposing that China deal with a few ringleaders while the others be handed over to the foreign side for handling.

Idioms Related to 自圆其说

Synonyms of 自圆其说

Antonyms of 自圆其说

More idioms starting with 自

Questions about 自圆其说

What does 自圆其说 mean?: 自圆其说 (zì yuán qí shuō) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to justify oneself”.
How do you pronounce 自圆其说?: 自圆其说 is pronounced zì yuán qí shuō in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 自圆其说 literally mean?: Literally, 自圆其说 means “to complete one's own explanation”. It is used to mean “to justify oneself”.
Where does 自圆其说 come from?: 自圆其说 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to the modern era. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 自圆其说?: 圆：圆满，周全。指说话的人能使自己的论点或谎话没有漏洞。

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