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自相矛盾 (zì xiāng máo dùn) — Chinese word meaning

HSK 7

自相矛盾 (zì xiāng máo dùn) is a Chinese word: self-contradictory, to contradict oneself. This page shows its pinyin, translation, example sentences, character breakdown, decomposition, and HSK level.

Meaning of 自相矛盾

成语 chéng yǔ idiom

self-contradictory, to contradict oneself

你的前后说法自相矛盾，应该解释清楚。

nǐ de qián hòu shuō fǎ zì xiāng máo dùn yīng gāi jiě shì qīng chu

Your statements before and after contradict each other, you should explain clearly.

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Word breakdown

自 zì — self, oneself

Words with this character (55)
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相 xiāng — mutually, reciprocally

Words with this character (35)
  • 1 相信 xiāng xìn — believe HSK 3
    • 相 mutually, intensifying prefix for belief
    • 信 trust, faith, believe
    Example

    我相信你能做到。

    wǒ xiāng xìn nǐ néng zuò dào

    I believe you can do it.

  • 2 互相 hù xiāng — each other, mutually HSK 4
    • 互 reciprocal, mutual exchange
    • 相 each other, toward one another
    Example

    同学们互相学习，共同进步。

    tóng xué men hù xiāng xué xí gòng tóng jìn bù

    Classmates learn from each other and progress together.

  • 3 相互 xiāng hù — mutually HSK 4
    • 相 mutually, reciprocally (indicates action between parties)
    • 互 mutual, reciprocal (emphasizes bidirectional nature)
    Example

    同学们要相互帮助。

    tóng xué men yào xiāng hù bāng zhù

    Classmates should help each other.

  • 4 相反 xiāng fǎn — opposite HSK 4
    • 相 mutual, reciprocal (indicates relationship or comparison)
    • 反 opposite, contrary, reverse
    Example

    我的想法和你的完全相反。

    wǒ de xiǎng fǎ hé nǐ de wán quán xiāng fǎn

    My thinking is completely opposite to yours.

  • 5 相同 xiāng tóng — same HSK 4
    • 相 mutually, reciprocally (indicates comparison)
    • 同 same, identical
    Example

    这两本书的内容相同。

    zhè liǎng běn shū de nèi róng xiāng tóng

    These two books have the same content.

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矛 máo — spear (representing attack/offense)

Words with this character (2)

盾 dùn — shield (representing defense)

Words with this character (2)
  • 1 矛盾 máo dùn — contradictory HSK 5
    • 矛 spear (representing the offensive/attacking aspect)
    • 盾 shield (representing the defensive aspect)
    Example

    他的说法很矛盾。

    tā de shuō fǎ hěn máo dùn

    His statements are very contradictory.

  • 2 后盾 hòu dùn — backing HSK 7
    • 后 behind, rear, backing
    • 盾 shield, protection
    Example

    有你做我的后盾，我什么都不怕。

    yǒu nǐ zuò wǒ de hòu dùn wǒ shén me dōu bù pà

    With you as my backing, I fear nothing.

Structure & writing
1 自 zì — oneself; one's own self
自 is a component in 6 characters
HSK 1
息 xī breath; air inhaled and exhaled
HSK 3
咱 zán we (inclusive of both speaker and listener), equivalent to "咱们" 夏 xià summer (the second of the four seasons)
HSK 4
首 shǒu head; skull 鼻 bí nose (olfactory and respiratory organ)
HSK 5
臭 chòu foul-smelling; stinking (opposite of 香)

自 is an atomic character — it does not decompose further.

Stroke order

2 相 xiāng — mutually; each other
Xpinyin
相 is a component in 4 characters
HSK 1
想 xiǎng to think; to ponder
HSK 3
箱 xiāng box; chest; trunk (a rectangular container with a lid for storing or transporting goods or clothing)
HSK 5
厢 xiāng side room flanking the main hall
HSK 7
霜 shuāng frost (white ice crystals formed on surfaces near the ground when temperature drops below 0°C)

consists of

2.1 木 mù — tree; general term for woody plants
木 is a component in 126 characters
HSK 1
休 xiū to stop; to cease (something) 床 chuáng bed (furniture for sleeping) 本 běn root or stem of a plant 机 jī machine; a device or apparatus composed of many parts that can do work or serve a special function 条 tiáo a long narrow strip
Show more HSK 1 characters (+7)
杯 bēi cup or glass for holding wine, water, tea, etc. 果 guǒ fruit; the seed-bearing part of a plant after flowering 校 xiào school 样 yàng shape; appearance; state of affairs 桌 zhuō table; desk (furniture for placing items on) 椅 yǐ chair (a seat with a backrest) 茶 chá tea plant (evergreen shrub with oblong leaves, white flowers, and hard-shelled seeds; young leaves are processed into tea leaves)
HSK 2
楼 lóu a floor/storey of a building
HSK 3
末 mò tip or end of an object 朵 duǒ measure word for flowers or clusters 李 lǐ plum tree (deciduous tree with white flowers) 束 shù to tie; to bind 板 bǎn a flat, hard piece of material (board, plank, slab)
Show more HSK 3 characters (+8)
极 jí apex; highest point; extremity 查 chá to inspect carefully; to examine 树 shù tree; general term for woody plants 根 gēn root (organ of a higher plant that anchors it and absorbs water and nutrients; taproots and fibrous roots) 梯 tī ladder; stairs; escalator 检 jiǎn to inspect; to examine 概 gài general idea; outline 相 xiāng mutually; each other
HSK 4
困 kùn to be trapped in hardship or difficulty; unable to break free from circumstances 术 shù skill; technique; art; learning 杂 zá varied; mixed; not pure 材 cái timber; wood 村 cūn village; small residential settlement
Show more HSK 4 characters (+14)
松 sōng pine tree (evergreen or deciduous conifer) 林 lín forest; grove of trees or bamboo 染 rǎn to dye (an object with dye) 柿 shì persimmon tree, a deciduous tree with oval leaves, yellowish-white flowers, and edible orange or red fruit 标 biāo treetop; tip of a branch 格 gé a ruled cell, box, or grid compartment 案 àn ancient wooden food tray 桥 qiáo bridge (structure built over water or in the air for passage) 桶 tǒng bucket; barrel; tub (cylindrical container made of plastic, wood, or metal, sometimes with a handle) 棒 bàng stick; club (usu. thick and short) 森 sēn abounding in trees; densely forested 棵 kē measure word for plants 植 zhí to plant, to cultivate 深 shēn deep (opposite of shallow)
HSK 5
未 wèi not yet (opposite of 已) 权 quán ancient counterweight of a steelyard 构 gòu to construct; to compose; to design 析 xī to separate; to disperse 架 jià rack, shelf, or frame used to support or hold objects
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某 mǒu a certain (person, place, thing, etc.); so-and-so 柜 guì cabinet or chest (for storing documents, clothes, etc.), usually rectangular, made of metal or wood, with a door or lid 桃 táo peach tree, a small deciduous tree with smooth twigs, oblong-lanceolate leaves, solitary pink flowers, and sweet, roughly spherical fruit covered in fine fuzz; the kernel is used medicinally 档 dàng shelving or cabinet with compartments for storing files 梨 lí pear tree, a deciduous tree or shrub with five-petaled white flowers and oval leaves 模 mó rule; norm; standard 橘 jú mandarin orange tree, an evergreen tree bearing oblate sweet-sour fruit with red-yellow peel used in medicine 橙 chéng orange tree (evergreen tree with oval leaves, juicy round fruit with red-yellow rind) 橡 xiàng deciduous oak tree (also called 栎, 麻栎, or 柞树) whose leaves feed silkworms and whose timber is used for sleepers and furniture 荣 róng lush; flourishing (of plants) 采 cǎi to pick (flowers, leaves, or fruit) 闲 xián free; unoccupied; idle (opposite of 'busy') 集 jí to gather, assemble, collect
HSK 6
呆 dāi foolish; stupid 朴 pǔ unworked timber; rough wood 杀 shā to kill; to cause the death of a person or animal 杰 jié a person of outstanding talent 枕 zhěn pillow
Show more HSK 6 characters (+21)
枝 zhī branch (of a plant) 枪 qiāng traditional spear or lance with a sharp metal tip on a long shaft 枯 kū withered; dried out (of plants) 柔 róu soft, pliant (opposite of "刚") 柴 chái firewood; brushwood for burning 栋 dòng ridgepole or main beam of a house 栏 lán railing; barrier 株 zhū roots and trunk of a tree above ground 核 hé hard pit or stone at the center of a fruit 梁 liáng beam; horizontal load-bearing timber or structural member 梅 méi plum tree (deciduous tree with oval leaves, cold-resistant, blooming in early spring with five-petaled flowers in pink, white, or red; fruit is round, green when unripe and yellow when ripe, edible and sour) 械 xiè specialized implement or tool 棉 mián cotton plant (annual or perennial herb or shrub; cultivated varieties include upland cotton, sea-island cotton, tree cotton, etc.; cotton fibers are a key textile material; seeds can be pressed for oil; commonly called 棉花) 棋 qí board game (such as Go, chess, checkers) 棍 gùn stick; rod (made from wood, bamboo, etc.) 棕 zōng brown color (like palm fiber) 椎 zhuī vertebra, short bone forming the spine in humans and higher animals 椒 jiāo pepper plant (Sichuan pepper, black pepper, chili pepper, etc.) whose fruits or seeds have a pungent or spicy flavor 榜 bǎng posted list of names 横 héng horizontal (opposite of vertical 竖/直) 渠 qú waterway, especially an artificially dug canal or ditch
HSK 7
朱 zhū vermilion, bright red 朽 xiǔ to rot or decay (of material over time) 杆 gǎn the slender, rod-like part of an object (including hollow ones) 杖 zhàng walking stick, cane 杜 dù birchleaf pear tree (a deciduous tree with small, astringent fruit, used as main rootstock for grafting pears)
Show more HSK 7 characters (+32)
杠 gàng thick rod or pole 杨 yáng poplar tree (deciduous tree with oval or lanceolate leaves and upright branches, including white poplar and other varieties) 枉 wǎng crooked, bent; referring to error or deviation 枚 méi a counter for small objects (similar to 个), one by one 枢 shū pivot; central or crucial part 柄 bǐng handle of an object 柏 bǎi cypress tree, an evergreen with scale-like leaves and cone fruits; hard wood used as building material 柱 zhù pillar; column (a vertical load-bearing structural member in a building, usually made of wood or stone) 柳 liǔ willow tree (deciduous tree with long, slender drooping branches and narrow leaves) 栖 qī to perch (originally of birds on trees); broadly, to dwell or stay 栽 zāi to plant; to grow (plants) 桂 guì plant name: 1. cinnamon tree (evergreen, white flowers, aromatic bark used as spice and medicine); 2. bay laurel (evergreen, oblong leaves, yellow flowers, leaves used as spice); 3. sweet osmanthus (evergreen shrub or small tree, also called 木樨, white or yellow fragrant flowers used as spice) 框 kuàng frame embedded in a wall for installing doors or windows 桑 sāng mulberry tree, a deciduous tree with oval serrated leaves used to feed silkworms, sweet purple or yellow-green fruit, and bark/leaves/fruit/roots used in medicine 桨 jiǎng oar; paddle (for rowing a boat, usually wooden, cylindrical on the upper part and flat and slightly wider on the lower part) 桩 zhuāng stake or post driven into the ground 梢 shāo the thinner end of a strip-like object 梭 suō shuttle (weaving tool on a loom that carries the weft thread through the warp, thick in the middle and pointed at both ends, typically made of hard wood; also called 梭子) 梳 shū comb (tool for tidying hair or beard, made of bamboo, wood, or plastic) 棚 péng shed or awning made of bamboo, wood, and matting to shelter from sun, wind, and rain 棱 léng edge where two surfaces of an object meet 棺 guān coffin 椭 tuǒ elliptical; oval shape formed by cutting a cylinder or cone at an angle 椰 yē coconut palm, a tall tropical evergreen tree whose fruit contains juice and edible flesh 楷 kǎi model, example, standard 榨 zhà to press or squeeze out juice from something 槐 huái pagoda tree, a deciduous tree with pinnate leaves, pale yellow flowers, and cylindrical seed pods; used as dye source, medicine, and timber 槛 kǎn threshold (low strip at the base of a door, made of wood or stone) 槽 cáo trough (rectangular container with raised sides and a sunken middle, used for feed, water, or wine; especially a feed trough for livestock) 橱 chú cabinet; cupboard (a piece of furniture with doors for storing things) 檐 yán eaves; overhanging edge of a roof 沐 mù to wash one's hair; to bathe, wash
2.2 目 mù — eye
目 is a component in 38 characters
HSK 1
看 kàn to look at; to watch 睡 shuì to sleep
HSK 2
眼 yǎn eye (visual organ of humans and animals) 着 zhuó to wear (clothing) 睛 jīng eyeball, pupil of the eye
HSK 3
冒 mào to rise; to emerge; to come out 直 zhí straight; not curved (opposite of 曲) 相 xiāng mutually; each other
HSK 4
具 jù tool; utensil; implement 省 shěng to save; to economize (opposite of 费)
HSK 5
泪 lèi tears; colorless liquid secreted by the lacrimal glands of the eye 盾 dùn shield (ancient protective weapon used in battle) 眠 mián to sleep
HSK 6
盲 máng blind; unable to see 盼 pàn to eagerly hope for; to long for 眉 méi eyebrow 睁 zhēng to open one's eyes 督 dū to supervise, oversee, inspect
Show more HSK 6 characters (+2)
瞧 qiáo (colloq.) to look; to see 瞬 shùn to blink; to wink
HSK 7
渺 miǎo vast and boundless (of water) 盯 dīng to fix one's gaze on; to stare at 盹 dǔn a brief nap; a doze 眨 zhǎ to blink (the eyes) 眯 mī to squint; to narrow the eyes
Show more HSK 7 characters (+13)
眶 kuàng eye socket; the area around the eye 眺 tiào to gaze into the distance 睐 lài (lit.) having misaligned pupils 睦 mù harmonious; amicable 睬 cǎi to pay attention to; to take notice of 睹 dǔ to see; to witness 瞄 miáo to aim at; to fix one's gaze on a target 瞅 chǒu (dial.) to look; to gaze 瞎 xiā to go blind; (of eyes) to lose the ability to see 瞒 mán to conceal the truth from others 瞩 zhǔ to gaze at; to fix one's eyes on 瞪 dèng to open one's eyes wide 瞻 zhān to look up or look forward

Stroke order

3 矛 máo — spear (ancient weapon with a bronze or iron tip on a long shaft)
矛 is a component in 2 characters
HSK 5
橘 jú mandarin orange tree, an evergreen tree bearing oblate sweet-sour fruit with red-yellow peel used in medicine
HSK 6
柔 róu soft, pliant (opposite of "刚")

矛 is an atomic character — it does not decompose further.

Stroke order

4 盾 dùn — shield (ancient protective weapon used in battle)
盾 is a component in 1 characters
HSK 6
循 xún to follow; to comply with; to adhere to

consists of

4.1 厂 chǎng — factory
厂 is a component in 21 characters
HSK 3
历 lì to experience; to go through
HSK 4
严 yán tight; with no gaps 产 chǎn to give birth 危 wēi unsafe, dangerous (opposite of 安) 厅 tīng large room for gatherings or receiving guests; hall 厉 lì strict and earnest
Show more HSK 4 characters (+8)
压 yā to press down on an object (often from above) 厌 yàn to dislike; to detest; to be fed up with 厕 cè toilet; lavatory 厚 hòu thick (of a flat object, opposite of 薄) 原 yuán original; initial 厨 chú kitchen 反 fǎn to flip over; to turn upside down 质 zhì fundamental nature of a thing
HSK 5
厘 lí prefix for 10⁻² (centi-), symbol c, in the metric system 厢 xiāng side room flanking the main hall 厦 shà tall, large building 盾 dùn shield (ancient protective weapon used in battle)
HSK 6
岸 àn shore; bank; coast (of a river, lake, sea, etc.)
HSK 7
厄 è (class.) strategic pass; perilous terrain 雁 yàn wild goose (migratory bird, often referring to the swan goose)
4.2 十 shí — ten (the number 9+1)
十 is a component in 29 characters
HSK 1
什 shén see "什么": ① interrogative pronoun; ② indefinite reference; ③ universal reference (used before 也/都); ④ surprise or dissatisfaction; ⑤ reproach; ⑥ disagreement; ⑦ non-exhaustive enumeration 卖 mài to sell; to exchange goods, skills, or labor for money (opposite of 买) 早 zǎo morning
HSK 2
妻 qī wife (opposite of 夫)
HSK 3
南 nán south (one of the four cardinal directions, opposite of north) 直 zhí straight; not curved (opposite of 曲)
HSK 4
克 kè to be able to; can 博 bó abundant; plentiful 叶 yè leaf (of a plant) 戴 dài to wear or put on (something on the head or body) 支 zhī to prop up; to support
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毕 bì to finish, to conclude 汁 zhī juice; liquid containing certain substances 章 zhāng a section or chapter of music, poetry, or prose 计 jì to calculate; to reckon 质 zhì fundamental nature of a thing 辛 xīn pungent; spicy 针 zhēn needle or pin (slender metal tool with a point and eye or hook, used for sewing or knitting)
HSK 5
华 huá referring to China 协 xié harmonious; in accord 古 gǔ ancient; of a bygone era, opposite of 'present' 盾 dùn shield (ancient protective weapon used in battle) 索 suǒ thick rope or chain
Show more HSK 5 characters (+1)
裁 cái to arrange and select (mostly used in literary arts)
HSK 6
德 dé morality; ethical standards and norms of conduct 截 jié to cut off; to sever (something long and slender)
HSK 7
卉 huì general term for various plants (esp. ornamental grasses and flowers) 卑 bēi low; lowly 嚏 tì (lit.) to sneeze
4.3 目 mù — eye
目 is a component in 38 characters
HSK 1
看 kàn to look at; to watch 睡 shuì to sleep
HSK 2
眼 yǎn eye (visual organ of humans and animals) 着 zhuó to wear (clothing) 睛 jīng eyeball, pupil of the eye
HSK 3
冒 mào to rise; to emerge; to come out 直 zhí straight; not curved (opposite of 曲) 相 xiāng mutually; each other
HSK 4
具 jù tool; utensil; implement 省 shěng to save; to economize (opposite of 费)
HSK 5
泪 lèi tears; colorless liquid secreted by the lacrimal glands of the eye 盾 dùn shield (ancient protective weapon used in battle) 眠 mián to sleep
HSK 6
盲 máng blind; unable to see 盼 pàn to eagerly hope for; to long for 眉 méi eyebrow 睁 zhēng to open one's eyes 督 dū to supervise, oversee, inspect
Show more HSK 6 characters (+2)
瞧 qiáo (colloq.) to look; to see 瞬 shùn to blink; to wink
HSK 7
渺 miǎo vast and boundless (of water) 盯 dīng to fix one's gaze on; to stare at 盹 dǔn a brief nap; a doze 眨 zhǎ to blink (the eyes) 眯 mī to squint; to narrow the eyes
Show more HSK 7 characters (+13)
眶 kuàng eye socket; the area around the eye 眺 tiào to gaze into the distance 睐 lài (lit.) having misaligned pupils 睦 mù harmonious; amicable 睬 cǎi to pay attention to; to take notice of 睹 dǔ to see; to witness 瞄 miáo to aim at; to fix one's gaze on a target 瞅 chǒu (dial.) to look; to gaze 瞎 xiā to go blind; (of eyes) to lose the ability to see 瞒 mán to conceal the truth from others 瞩 zhǔ to gaze at; to fix one's eyes on 瞪 dèng to open one's eyes wide 瞻 zhān to look up or look forward

Stroke order