牵强附会
qiān qiǎng fù huì
far-fetched; to force a meaning onto sth
Character by character
牵qiān
drag
drag
强qiǎng
force
force
附fù
attach
attach
会huì
fit
fit
Example
把一个人的成功和失败都归到他的星座上，实在太牵强附会了。
Putting a person’s every success and failure down to their star sign is really stretching it.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
牵强 is forced, dragged in; 附会 is to attach a meaning that is not there. Used to criticise explanations, comparisons and readings of a text: 牵强附会的解释, 这种说法有些牵强附会. 牵强 alone is milder: 这个理由有点牵强.
Learn this in Lesson 249 · HSK 9+: i人还是e人 (Introvert or extrovert?)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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