📖 Meaning
To whitewash and conceal one's own errors, faults, or wrongdoings rather than admitting them openly. It describes a person who goes to great lengths to hide their mistakes instead of facing them honestly and correcting them. The idiom carries a strong negative connotation, implying dishonesty and lack of accountability.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom is a variant of the more common expression '文过饰非' (wén guò shì fēi), which appears in classical Confucian texts. The concept traces back to the Analects of Confucius, where the master emphasized the virtue of acknowledging one's faults rather than covering them up. The phrase reflects the Confucian ideal that a gentleman (君子) should face his errors with honesty and self-reflection, while petty individuals resort to concealment and excuse-making. Over centuries, '饰非掩过' emerged as a synonymous parallel construction, using the same four-character structure to reinforce the idea of double-layered deception — both glossing over (饰) the wrong (非) and hiding (掩) the mistake (过).
💡 Example Usage
出了问题就饰非掩过，这样的领导没人会信服。
A leader who covers up mistakes whenever problems arise will never earn anyone's trust.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 饰非掩过
- Pinyin: shì fēi yǎn guò
- Literal Translation: gloss over faults, cover up mistakes
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4