📖 Meaning
To contradict oneself. Saying or doing things that cannot both be true at the same time.
📜 Origin Story
A man sold a spear that could pierce anything and a shield that nothing could pierce. When asked what would happen if the spear struck the shield, he had no answer.
💡 Example Usage
你的话自相矛盾，无法自圆其说。
Your statements are self-contradictory—you can't have it both ways.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 自相矛盾
- Pinyin: zì xiāng máo dùn
- Literal Translation: self-contradict spear and shield
- Category: Logic
- Characters: 4