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借古諷今

简 借古讽今 · 繁 借古諷今
Mandarin · pinyin jiè gǔ fěng jīn

Meanings

  1. to use the past to disparage the present (idiom)
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Characters in this entry

借
jiè · borrow; lend; make pretext of
古
gǔ · old, classic, ancient
諷
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今
jīn · now, today, modern era
讽
fěng · fèng · recite, incant; satirize
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Entries containing 借古諷今 ↗Words written with 借 ↗Words written with 古 ↗Words written with 諷 ↗Words written with 今 ↗Words written with 讽 ↗

Mandarin tones

4–3–3–1 · jie4 gu3 feng3 jin1

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

ze3 gu2 fung3 gam1

Cantonese word readings for 借古諷今. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

  1. (idiomatic) to satirize the present by discussing and commenting on historical events or figures

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack