rényúnyìyún: 人云亦云 - To Parrot What Others Say, To Echo Others' Views

• Keywords: renyunyiyun, 人云亦云, Chinese idiom for parroting, echoing others, follow the crowd, groupthink in Chinese, not thinking for yourself, Chinese chengyu meaning, how to use 人云亦云.
• Summary: 人云亦云 (rén yún yì yún) is a common Chinese idiom (chengyu) that describes the act of blindly parroting what others say without having one's own independent thoughts. It criticizes a lack of critical thinking and the tendency to simply follow the crowd. This page breaks down the meaning of 人云亦云, its cultural roots, and how to use it in modern conversation to describe someone who just echoes others' opinions.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): rén yún yì yún
• Part of Speech: Idiom (Chengyu / 成语)
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: To say what other people say; to echo the views of others without personal judgment.
• In a Nutshell: This phrase is a gentle but clear criticism of someone who doesn't think for themselves. Imagine a conversation where one person offers an opinion, and another person immediately agrees and repeats the same point without adding anything new. That second person is being “人云亦云”. It implies a lack of originality, critical thinking, and sometimes, courage to voice a different opinion.

• 人 (rén): Person, people.
• 云 (yún): In classical Chinese, this character means “to say”. (This is a key point for learners, as its modern meaning is almost always “cloud”).
• 亦 (yì): Also, too, as well.
• 云 (yún): Again, “to say”.

The structure is beautifully literal and symmetrical: “People (人) say (云), [you] also (亦) say (云).” It paints a clear picture of one person speaking and another immediately echoing them, word for word.

While Chinese culture often values group harmony (和谐, héxié) and consensus, 人云亦云 is seen as the negative side of this coin. It is not considered a tool for harmony but rather a sign of intellectual laziness or cowardice. There's a strong cultural emphasis on being thoughtful and considerate, and `人云亦云` violates this by demonstrating a lack of thought. A good Western comparison is the concept of “groupthink” or “jumping on the bandwagon,” but with a key difference. “Groupthink” is often a formal term used to analyze organizational failure. `人云亦云`, however, is a common phrase used to describe an individual's behavior in everyday life. You can casually say your friend is being a bit `人云亦云` about a new trend. It's less about social pressure (like “jumping on the bandwagon”) and more about a person's individual failure to form their own opinion. The ideal is to be able to think independently (`独立思考, dúlì sīkǎo`) while still maintaining harmony with the group.

`人云亦云` is almost always used with a negative connotation. It is a criticism, whether lighthearted or serious. It can be used in both formal writing and informal conversation.

• Social Media & News: It's frequently used to critique how information spreads online, where users often share headlines or repeat hot takes without reading the article or thinking critically.
• Workplace/Business: You might use it to describe a colleague who always agrees with the boss's ideas without offering any constructive input of their own. This is seen as unhelpful and lacking initiative.
• Personal Advice: A parent or friend might warn you, “Don't just 人云亦云 when choosing your university major; you need to think about what *you* truly want.”

• Example 1:
  • 做一个有主见的人，不要总是人云亦云。
  • Pinyin: Zuò yí ge yǒu zhǔjiàn de rén, búyào zǒngshì rényúnyìyún.
  • English: Be a person with your own opinions; don't always just parrot what others say.
  • Analysis: This is a classic piece of advice, directly contrasting `人云亦云` with its antonym concept, `有主见` (yǒu zhǔjiàn) - to have one's own opinion.
• Example 2:
  • 他在会议上的发言毫无新意，不过是人云亦云罢了。
  • Pinyin: Tā zài huìyì shàng de fāyán háo wú xīnyì, búguò shì rényúnyìyún bàle.
  • English: His comments at the meeting had nothing new; it was just echoing what others had said.
  • Analysis: The particle `罢了 (bàle)` at the end softens the tone slightly, meaning “just” or “nothing more than.” It frames the `人云亦云` behavior as unimpressive rather than malicious.
• Example 3:
  • 现在网络上很多人都在人云亦云，很少有人去查证信息的真假。
  • Pinyin: Xiànzài wǎngluò shàng hěn duō rén dōu zài rényúnyìyún, hěn shǎo yǒu rén qù cházhèng xìnxī de zhēn jiǎ.
  • English: Nowadays, a lot of people online are just echoing each other; very few people bother to verify the authenticity of the information.
  • Analysis: A very common and modern usage, criticizing the lack of critical thinking in the digital age.
• Example 4:
  • 关于这个重要的决定，你必须自己想清楚，千万别人云亦云。
  • Pinyin: Guānyú zhège zhòngyào de juédìng, nǐ bìxū zìjǐ xiǎng qīngchu, qiānwàn bié rényúnyìyún.
  • English: Regarding this important decision, you must think it through for yourself. Whatever you do, don't just follow what others are saying.
  • Analysis: `千万别 (qiānwàn bié)` is a strong “you must not,” emphasizing the seriousness of the advice.
• Example 5:
  • 他这个人最大的缺点就是没主见，做什么事都人云亦云。
  • Pinyin: Tā zhège rén zuì dà de quēdiǎn jiùshì méi zhǔjiàn, zuò shénme shì dōu rényúnyìyún.
  • English: His biggest flaw is that he has no opinion of his own; he just follows the crowd in everything he does.
  • Analysis: A direct and harsh criticism of someone's character.
• Example 6:
  • 投资股票最忌讳人云亦云，听说什么好就买什么，很容易亏钱。
  • Pinyin: Tóuzī gǔpiào zuì jìhuì rényúnyìyún, tīngshuō shénme hǎo jiù mǎi shénme, hěn róngyì kuīqián.
  • English: When investing in stocks, the biggest taboo is to just follow the herd. If you buy whatever you hear is good, you can easily lose money.
  • Analysis: `忌讳 (jìhuì)` means “taboo,” making this a strong warning in a specific context (investing).
• Example 7:
  • 写论文不能人云亦云，你需要提出自己独特的观点和分析。
  • Pinyin: Xiě lùnwén bù néng rényúnyìyún, nǐ xūyào tíchū zìjǐ dútè de guāndiǎn hé fēnxī.
  • English: You can't just repeat others' ideas when writing a thesis; you need to present your own unique viewpoint and analysis.
  • Analysis: A common piece of advice for students and academics.
• Example 8:
  • 我对这个话题也不太懂，刚才说的只是人云亦云而已，你别当真。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ duì zhège huàtí yě bú tài dǒng, gāngcái shuō de zhǐshì rényúnyìyún éryǐ, nǐ bié dàngzhēn.
  • English: I don't really understand this topic either. What I just said was just me parroting what I've heard, so don't take it seriously.
  • Analysis: This is a rare self-deprecating use. The speaker is admitting their lack of expertise by labeling their own previous statement as `人云亦云`.
• Example 9:
  • 当所有人都人云亦云的时候，那个敢说真话的人就显得尤其可贵。
  • Pinyin: Dāng suǒyǒu rén dōu rényúnyìyún de shíhou, nàge gǎn shuō zhēnhuà de rén jiù xiǎnde yóuqí kěguì.
  • English: When everyone is just echoing each other, the person who dares to speak the truth seems especially valuable.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses `人云亦云` to set up a contrast and praise independent thinking.
• Example 10:
  • 这份市场报告没什么深度，基本上是在人云亦云，重复了一些众所周知的趋势。
  • Pinyin: Zhè fèn shìchǎng bàogào méishénme shēndù, jīběn shàng shì zài rényúnyìyún, chóngfùle yìxiē zhòngsuǒzhōuzhī de qūshì.
  • English: This market report lacks depth; it's basically just parroting others and repeating some well-known trends.
  • Analysis: Shows how the idiom can be used to critique a formal document like a report.

• Mistake 1: Confusing it with simply “agreeing”.
  • `人云亦云` is not just about agreeing with someone. It specifically implies that you are agreeing *without thinking*. A person can listen to an argument, consider it, and genuinely come to the same conclusion. That is not `人云亦云`. The idiom's criticism is aimed at the *lack* of an independent thought process.
• Mistake 2: Using it for positive conformity.
  • This term is negative. If you want to say someone is “fashionable” or “keeping up with the times,” do not use `人云亦云`. Use a term like `时髦 (shímáo)` (fashionable) or `跟上潮流 (gēnshàng cháoliú)` (to keep up with the trend).
  • Incorrect: `大家都穿这双鞋，他买了就是人云亦云。` (Everyone wears these shoes, so he's `renyunyiyun` for buying them.)
  • Why it's wrong: This is judgmental. While maybe true from a critical perspective, it's not a neutral description. If you just mean he's following the trend, you'd say `他很会跟潮流 (tā hěn huì gēn cháoliú)`. You use `人云亦云` when you want to criticize the *lack of originality* in his choice.

• `随大流 (suí dàliú)` - To follow the crowd/go with the flow. A very close synonym, but focuses more on the *action* of following, whereas `人云亦云` focuses on the *speech* of parroting.
• `主见 (zhǔjiàn)` - One's own opinion/viewpoint. The direct antonym concept. Someone who is `人云亦云` is said to `没有主见 (méiyǒu zhǔjiàn)`.
• `独立思考 (dúlì sīkǎo)` - To think independently. This is the skill or quality that prevents one from being `人云亦云`.
• `拾人牙慧 (shí rén yáhuì)` - Lit. “to pick up wisdom from others' teeth.” A more literary and formal synonym, implying plagiarism of ideas.
• `道听途说 (dàotīngtúshuō)` - Hearsay; gossip heard on the street. This is about spreading unverified information. It's related because someone who is `人云亦云` often spreads `道听途说`.
• `鹦鹉学舌 (yīngwǔ xué shé)` - Lit. “a parrot learning to speak/talk.” A very vivid and sometimes slightly childish-sounding synonym for `人云亦云`.
• `三人成虎 (sān rén chéng hǔ)` - “Three people talking about a tiger can make one appear.” This describes the dangerous outcome when many people `人云亦云`—a rumor or lie can become a perceived truth.