掩耳盜鈴 yǎn ěr dào líng

to deceive oneself

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. to deceive oneself
  2. 2. lit. to cover one's ears whilst stealing a bell
  3. 3. to bury one's head in the sand (idiom)

Characters

Character Meaning
掩 yǎn HSK 6
to cover up; to close; to surprise
耳 ěr HSK 3
ear; handle (archaeology)
盜 dào
to steal; thief; to rob
鈴 líng
(small) bell