矛盾 (máo dùn): contradiction; to conflict; contradictory

He says he loves his mother's cooking the most, but every time he goes home he nitpicks. Isn't that contradictory?

The company rules say you can't be late for work, but the manager himself often doesn't arrive until ten. This contradiction makes the employees very unhappy.

She feels conflicted: she wants to accept this high-paying job, but she can't bear to leave her family and go to another city.

The police found his statements contradictory: first he said he was sleeping at home, then he said he was drinking outside with friends.

There is often a contradiction between economic development and environmental protection; the government needs to find a way to balance them.