自圆其说 zì yuán qí shuō

to make a story or theory consistent

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency 27603rd word

Definitions

  1. 1. to make a story or theory consistent
  2. 2. to give a plausible explanation
  3. 3. to plug the holes in one's story

Characters

Character Meaning
自 zì HSK 3
self; oneself; from
圆 yuán HSK 5
unit of Chinese currency (yuan); round; circle
其 qí HSK 3
its; their; it (refers to sth preceding it)
说 shuō HSK 1
to say; to speak; to explain