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欲蓋彌彰

简欲盖弥彰 · 繁欲蓋彌彰

Mandarin · pinyin yù gài mí zhāng

trying to hide it makes it more conspicuous (idiom); A cover up only makes matters worse.

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Characters in this entry

欲: yù · desire, want, long for; intend
蓋: Look up this written character
彌: Look up this written character
彰: zhāng · clear, manifest, obvious
盖: gài · cover, hide, protect
弥: mí · extensive, full; fill; complete

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–4–2–1 · yu4 gai4 mi2 zhang1

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

欲蓋彌彰 · find source passages ↗ · 欲盖弥彰 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

juk6 goi3 nei4 zoeng1

Cantonese word readings for 欲蓋彌彰. 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

(idiomatic) to attempt to cover up the truth but the truth becomes more apparent or further exposed

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

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