装神扮鬼 zhuāng shén bàn guǐ pretend to be supernatural beings

Explanation

形容故弄玄虚，欺骗人。

To describe someone who is using mystery and deception to manipulate others.

Origin Story

从前，在一个偏僻的小山村里，住着一位名叫阿福的年轻人。阿福为人老实，但却总是幻想自己拥有超自然的能力。一天，村里来了一个算命先生，阿福便想趁机装神扮鬼，骗骗这位算命先生。他偷偷地躲在树林里，等到算命先生经过时，便突然从树林里跳出来，扮成鬼的模样，试图吓唬他。算命先生却一点也不害怕，笑着说：“年轻人，不要装神扮鬼了，你的心思我一看便知。做人要诚实，不要欺骗别人。”阿福听了算命先生的话，羞愧地低下了头。从此以后，阿福再也不敢装神扮鬼了，他开始努力学习，做一个诚实善良的人。

cóng qián, zài yīgè piān pì de xiǎo shān cūn lǐ, zhù zhe yī wèi míng jiào ā fú de nián qīng rén. ā fú wéi rén lǎo shí, dàn què zǒng shì huàn xiǎng zì jǐ yǒng yǒu chāo zì rán de néng lì. yī tiān, cūn lǐ lái le yīgè suàn mìng xiān shēng, ā fú biàn xiǎng chèng jī zhuāng shén bàn guǐ, piàn piàn zhè wèi suàn mìng xiān shēng. tā tōu tōu de duǒ zài shù lín lǐ, děng dào suàn mìng xiān shēng jīng guò shí, biàn tū rán cóng shù lín lǐ tiào chū lái, bàn chéng guǐ de mú yàng, shì tú hè hu hu tā. suàn mìng xiān shēng què yī diǎn yě bù hài pà, xiào zhe shuō:“nián qīng rén, bù yào zhuāng shén bàn guǐ le, nǐ de xīn sī wǒ yī kàn biàn zhī. zuò rén yào chéng shí, bù yào qī piàn bié rén.” ā fú tīng le suàn mìng xiān shēng de huà, xiū kuì de dī xià le tóu. cóng cǐ yǐ hòu, ā fú zài yě gǎn bù dǎi zhuāng shén bàn guǐ le, tā kāi shǐ nǔ lì xué xí, zuò yīgè chéng shí shàn liáng de rén.

Once upon a time, in a remote mountain village, lived a young man named A Fu. A Fu was honest, but he always fantasized about having supernatural powers. One day, a fortune teller came to the village, and A Fu decided to take the opportunity to play tricks on him. He secretly hid in the woods and waited for the fortune teller to pass by, then suddenly jumped out, dressed as a ghost, to try to scare him. However, the fortune teller was not at all scared, and he said with a smile, “Young man, don’t pretend to be a ghost; I can see through you. Be honest and don’t deceive others.” A Fu listened to the fortune teller's words, and he hung his head in shame. From that day on, A Fu never dared to pretend to be a ghost again, and he began to study hard to become an honest and kind person.

Usage

用作谓语、宾语、定语；多用于贬义。

yòng zuò wèi yǔ, bīn yǔ, dìng yǔ; duō yòng yú biǎn yì

Used as predicate, object, attributive; mostly derogatory.

Examples

• 别再装神弄鬼了，把事情的真相说出来吧！

  bié zài zhuāng shén nòng guǐ le, bǎ shì qing de zhēn xiàng shuō chū lái ba！

  Stop playing tricks and tell the truth!

• 一些江湖术士常常装神弄鬼，骗取钱财。

  yī xiē jiāng hú shù shì cháng cháng zhuāng shén nòng guǐ, piàn qǔ qián cái

  Some charlatans pretend to be supernatural beings to swindle money

Related Idioms

• 装神弄鬼

• 故弄玄虚

Opposite Idioms

• 坦诚相待

• 光明磊落