移花接木
yí huā jiē mù
to graft one thing onto another; to deceive by switching parts
Character by character
移yí
move
move
花huā
flower
flower
接jiē
graft
graft
木mù
tree
tree
Example
这段视频是移花接木做出来的：画面是三年前的，声音却是昨天录的。
This video was faked by splicing: the pictures are from three years ago, but the sound was recorded yesterday.
Tone: negative (criticism).
Usage and origin
Originally a gardener’s graft, joining a flowering branch to another tree. Now almost always of deception: swapping pictures, quotes, names or parts to make something look like what it is not. Common in reports on forgeries and doctored videos: 移花接木的手法.
Learn this in Lesson 238 · HSK 9+: 拍卖与赝品 (Auctions and fakes)
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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