画虎画皮难画骨
huà​hǔ​huà​pí​nán​huà​gǔ

knowing the outside but not the inside

  1. 画 huà
    opaque (segment carries no independent meaning)
  2. 虎 hǔ noun
    tiger
    tiger; commonly referred to as 老虎 lǎo​hǔ
  3. 画 huà
    opaque (segment carries no independent meaning)
  4. 皮 pí noun
    skin; leather
    skin, fur, or hide of humans or animals; leather; peel or bark of plants
  5. 难 nán
    opaque (segment carries no independent meaning)
  6. 画 huà
    opaque (segment carries no independent meaning)
  7. 骨 gǔ noun
    bone
    bone; the hard tissue that forms the skeleton of humans and vertebrate animals