Not a Dictionary · Sentence Card
此地 无银 三百
"No three hundred taels of silver buried here"—giving away one's secret through clumsy denial.
此地 cǐ dì this place 🔊
无银 wú yín no silver 🔊
三百 sān bǎi three hundred 🔊
liǎng taels (currency weight) 🔊

An idiomatic expression used when someone tries to hide something or deny guilt, but their awkward actions or overly defensive words make it completely obvious.

此地无银三百两 (Cǐ dì wú yín sān bǎi liǎng)

Based on a famous folk tale about a man named Zhang who buried his savings and put up a sign saying "no three hundred taels of silver buried here" to fool thieves, only to expose himself instantly. People use this phrase today whenever someone's clumsy attempt at covering up a mistake actually points straight to their guilt.

TARGET SENTENCE
Giving away a secret through clumsy denial.
NOT A DICTIONARY