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似是而非

sì shì ér fēi

HSK 3.0 level 7-9 4-character word

似是而非 (sì shì ér fēi) means "apparently right but actually wrong; specious (idiom)". It is an HSK 3.0 level 7-9 word, and was not on the old six-level HSK list.

What 似是而非 means

1. apparently right but actually wrong; specious (idiom)

The characters in 似是而非

• 似sìto seem; to appear; to resemble
• 是shìto be (followed by substantives only); correct; right; true…
• 而érand; as well as; and so
• 非fēito not be; not; wrong; incorrect; non-; un-; in-; de-

Go deeper

• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read sì shì ér fēi correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.