Imitating others’ words without any independent thinking is what “人云亦云” means. It describes someone who lacks their own opinions and simply echoes what others say. This phrase comes from the poem “槽声同彦高赋” by Jin Caisongnian, which includes the line “槽床过竹春泉句，他日人云吾亦云”. Synonyms for this expression are “随声附和” and “拾人牙慧”, while antonyms are “自成一家” and “直言不讳”. The translation in English is “follow what others have said”.
