--- title: "ChengYu: 自相矛盾 Meaning" description: "\"There once was a salesman who sold spears and shields...\" Check out what the Chinese idiom \"自相矛盾\" means and how to use it in a sentence! It has to do with contradicting statements." image: https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/hubfs/zi_xiang_mao_dun.jpg --- [![chinese new logo-1](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/hubfs/chinese%20new%20logo-1.jpg)](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-culture?hsLang=en) - Culture and Lifestyle - [Chinese Culture](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-culture?hsLang=en) - [Chinese Fun Facts](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-fun-facts?hsLang=en) - Chinese Proficiency Exams - [HSK](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/hsk-exam?hsLang=en) - TOCFL - [AP Chinese](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/ap-chinese-exam-preparation?hsLang=en) - Chinese Learning - [Learning Tips](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-learning-tips) - [Chinese for Kids](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-for-kids?hsLang=en) - [Chinese for Business](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-for-business?hsLang=en) # ChengYu: 自相矛盾 Meaning "There once was a salesman who sold spears and shields..." Check out what the Chinese idiom "自相矛盾" means and how to use it in a sentence! It has to do with contradicting statements. [Ru-Ping Chen](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-learning-tips/author/ru-ping-chen) Jan 15, 2016 --- ### THE IDIOM Traditional: 自相矛盾 Simplified: 自相矛盾 Pinyin: zì xiāng máo dùn ### EXPLANATION 自相: mutual; each other 矛盾: contradiction Individuals typically use this idiom to describe contradictions. The 矛 (máo) comes from 矛盾, which means spear. The 盾 (dùn) comes from 盾牌 which means shield. ### THE BACKSTORY One day as a man walked through the market, he heard a salesman selling spears and shields. The salesman said, “No spear in the world can pierce my shields!” Right after, the salesman said, “No shield in the world can block the strength of my spears!” The man asked the salesman, “What would happen if I used your spear to stab your shield? What would happen then?” The salesman did not know how to answer the man’s question. From then on, people have used 自相矛盾 to describe a person who exaggerates the severity of a situation or a person who tells a story that contradicts itself. HOW TO USE “自相矛盾” IN A SENTENCE 1. 他说的话总自相矛盾，令我半疑半信。 1. I never truly believe him because his stories always possess contradictions. 2. 自相矛盾的话我从来不相信。 1. I don’t trust stories with contradictions. 3. 政客说的话向来都自相矛盾，所以我不会轻易的支持一个。 1. I am careful with whom I support within politics because politicians typically make vague promises with contradictions. ### ABOUT TUTORABC Chinese *Founded in 2004, TutorABC Global, the parent company of TutorABC Chinese, created the first commercially available synchronous learning portal in the world. TutorABC Global offers [world class Chinese tutors](https://www.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-tutors?_ga=2.9279797.1496582943.1661140056-904350887.1661140056) at TutorABC Chinese. For English learning, it offers TutorABC, and tutorJr.*   #####  **Like this post? 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