The Chinese idiom 自欺欺人 (zì qī qī rén), meaning "to deceive oneself and others" or "self-deception", is formed through a logical and parallel compound structure. It breaks down into "自欺" (zì qī), "to deceive oneself", and "欺人" (qī rén), "to deceive others", with the character 欺 (qī, to deceive) repeated to create a rhythmic and emphatic effect. The construction illustrates a cause-and-effect or sequential relationship: the action typically begins with internal self-deception (自欺), which then extends outwardly to the deception of others (欺人). This concise four-character pattern, common in Classical Chinese, efficiently conveys the complex idea of hypocrisy or willful ignorance where one's own false beliefs are projected onto others.