阿谀奉承 ēyú fèngchéng flattery

Explanation

指用言语讨好，曲意逢迎别人。形容为人虚伪谄媚。

Refers to flattering and currying favor with others with words. Describes a person as hypocritical and fawning.

Origin Story

从前，有一个名叫阿强的年轻人，他渴望得到官位和财富。他听说当地一位权势很大的官员非常喜欢听好话，于是阿强便开始每天都去官员府上，对官员极尽阿谀奉承之能事。他夸赞官员的才华、品德和功绩，甚至不惜夸大其词，编造一些虚假的故事来讨好官员。他殷勤地为官员端茶倒水，鞍前马后地伺候着，仿佛官员是他的一切。起初，官员对阿强的阿谀奉承感到很受用，觉得阿强很会说话，也很有眼力见。但他渐渐发现，阿强所说的话，大部分都是不真实的，他只是为了讨好自己才这样说的。官员开始厌恶阿强，并认为他是一个虚伪的人。官员从此不再理会阿强，阿强也因此失去了得到官位和财富的机会。

cóng qián, yǒu yīgè míng jiào ā qiáng de nián qīng rén, tā kěwàng dédào guānwèi hé cáifù. tā tīngshuō dāngdì yī wèi quán shì hěn dà de guānyuán fēicháng xǐhuan tīng hǎohuà, yúshì ā qiáng biàn kāishǐ měitiān dōu qù guānyuán fǔ shàng, duì guānyuán jí jìn ēyú fèngchéng zhī néngshì. tā kuāzàn guānyuán de cáihúa, pǐndé hé gōngjì, shènzhì bù xī kuādà qícì, biānzhào yīxiē xūjiǎ de gùshì lái tǎohǎo guānyuán. tā yīn qín de wèi guānyuán duān chá dǎo shuǐ, ān qián mà hòu de sìhòu zhe, fǎngfú guānyuán shì tā de yīqiè. qǐchū, guānyuán duì ā qiáng de ēyú fèngchéng gǎndào hěn shòuyòng, juéde ā qiáng hěn huì shuōhuà, yě hěn yǒu yǎnlì jiàn. dàn tā jiànjiàn fāxiàn, ā qiáng suǒ shuō de huà, dà bùfèn dōu shì bù zhēnshí de, tā zhǐshì wèile tǎohǎo zìjǐ cái zhèyàng shuō de. guānyuán kāishǐ yàn'è ā qiáng, bìng rènwéi tā shì yīgè xūwěi de rén. guānyuán cóngcǐ bù zài lǐhuì ā qiáng, ā qiáng yě yīncǐ shīqùle dédào guānwèi hé cáifù de jīhuì.

Once upon a time, there was a young man named Aqiang who longed for power and wealth. He heard that a very influential official in the area loved flattery, so Aqiang started going to the official's house every day to flatter him excessively. He praised the official's talents, character, and achievements, even exaggerating and fabricating false stories to please him. He diligently served the official tea and water, and served him in every way, as if the official were everything to him. At first, the official enjoyed Aqiang's flattery, finding him eloquent and perceptive. But gradually he realized that most of what Aqiang said was untrue, he only spoke to please him. The official started to dislike Aqiang and considered him a hypocrite. The official ignored Aqiang from then on, and Aqiang lost the chance to gain power and wealth.

Usage

多用于贬义，形容对人谄媚讨好。

duō yòng yú biǎnyì, xíngróng duì rén chǎn mèi tǎohǎo

Mostly used in a derogatory sense, describing flattery and obsequiousness.

Examples

• 他为了升官发财，对上司阿谀奉承，毫无底线。

  tā wèile shēngguān fācái, duì shàngsī ēyú fèngchéng, háo wú dǐxiàn.

  He flattered his superiors to gain promotion and wealth, without any bottom line.

• 那些阿谀奉承的小人，最终只会害人害己。

  nàxiē ēyú fèngchéng de xiǎorén, zuìzhōng zhǐ huì hài rén hài jǐ

  Those sycophants will ultimately harm themselves and others..

Related Idioms

• 逢迎

• 拍马

Opposite Idioms

• 正直

• 刚正不阿