Chinese365
All idiom stories
Idiom · 成语

Covering Your Ears to Steal a Bell

掩耳盗铃yǎn ěr dào líng

A thief covers his own ears so he "cannot hear" the bell — and believes no one else can either. Self-deception, in one tale.

偷铃时捂自己的耳朵,以为别人也听不见,比喻自欺欺人。

Covering Your Ears to Steal a Bell · 掩耳盗铃0:00 / 0:00

Source: /audio/idioms/yan_er_dao_ling.mp3

Recommended partner · Sponsored

Practice with a real tutor on italki → Affordable 1-on-1 Chinese lessons — bring the awkward sentences from our tools straight to class.

Chinese365

An AI-powered Chinese language platform built around a structured Chinese Language Knowledge Base — designed for English-speaking learners, and the developers building tools for them.

© 2026 Chinese365 · 中文智能学习平台PrivacyTermsjingshuicc@gmail.com