# 指鹿为马

zhǐ lù wéi mǎ

Deliberately misrepresent obvious facts

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Call a deer a horse

**Traditional Chinese:** 指鹿為馬

**Register:** Critical · formal

[People & connection](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/relationships)

## When to use it

Use to condemn knowingly false claims, especially when authority pressures others to accept them.

It is a serious accusation of distortion, rather than an ordinary misunderstanding.

## Understanding the expression

The deer and horse are distinguishable, making the false label conspicuous. The idiom is powerful because the issue is not lack of knowledge: someone insists that an evident fact be described incorrectly. Modern uses may concern propaganda, coercion, or blatant denial. When using it, identify the evidence being distorted. It should not become a substitute for demonstrating that a claim is false.

## Examples

把明显的错误说成成功，简直是指鹿为马。

### Traditional Chinese

把明顯的錯誤說成成功，簡直是指鹿為馬。

bǎ míng xiǎn de cuò wù shuō chéng chéng gōng ， jiǎn zhí shì zhǐ lù wéi mǎ 。

Calling an obvious mistake a success is a deliberate distortion of the facts.

大家都看过记录，他还指鹿为马地否认责任。

### Traditional Chinese

大家都看過記錄，他還指鹿為馬地否認責任。

dà jiā dōu kàn guò jì lù ， tā hái zhǐ lù wéi mǎ dì fǒu rèn zé rèn 。

Everyone had seen the records, yet he deliberately distorted the facts to deny responsibility.

新闻报道不能为了讨好某一方而指鹿为马。

### Traditional Chinese

新聞報道不能為了討好某一方而指鹿為馬。

xīn wén bào dào bù néng wèi le tǎo hǎo mǒu yì fāng ér zhǐ lù wéi mǎ 。

News reporting must not twist facts to please one side.

他说那是误会，但证据显示他在指鹿为马。

### Traditional Chinese

他說那是誤會，但證據顯示他在指鹿為馬。

tā shuō nà shì wù huì ， dàn zhèng jù xiǎn shì tā zài zhǐ lù wéi mǎ 。

He called it a misunderstanding, but the evidence showed deliberate misrepresentation.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E6%8C%87%E9%B9%BF%E7%82%BA%E9%A6%AC)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=11&webMd=1&la=0)

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