吹牛皮

chuī niúpí

phrase #23,022

Meanings

1 to boast
2 to brag
3 to talk big

Characters

to blow; to play (wind instrument)

skin; hide; leather

Examples

HSK 5

别吹牛皮了，拿出证据来。

Bié chuī niúpí le, náchū zhèngjù lái.

Stop bragging and show me the evidence.

HSK 7-9

他喜欢吹牛皮，但从来不做实事。

Tā xǐhuan chuī niúpí, dàn cónglái bú zuò shíshì.

He likes to boast but never does anything substantial.

Tips

memory

吹 means to blow, 牛 means cow/ox, 皮 means hide/skin. Inflating a cowhide was extremely difficult, so 'blowing up a cowhide' became a metaphor for empty boasting. The shorter form 吹牛 is equally common.

Stroke Order

吹 chuī

牛 niú

皮 pí