徒有其表
tú​yǒu​qí​biǎo

all show and no substance

  • created reference approved 徒有其表 → 虚有其表/虛有其表 (same_as) — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    徒有其表 tú​yǒu​qí​biǎo

    虚有其表 / 虛有其表 xū​yǒu​qí​biǎo

    same_as

    Changed: source (simp), source (trad), source pinyin, target (simp), target (trad), target pinyin, type

    created reference

  • created sense approved 徒有其表 · tú​yǒu​qí​biǎo · all show and no substance — "Initial import from upstream dictionary"

    徒有其表

    tú​yǒu​qí​biǎo

    all show and no substance

    To have a nice appearance but no actual substance or merit; only pretty on the outside.

    徒 (literal) → 徒 · tú · in vain 有 (literal) → 有 · yǒu · to have 其 (literal) → 其 · qí · [third-person possessive] 表 (literal) → 表 · biǎo · surface

    Changed: simplified, traditional, gloss, definition, pinyin, variant pinyin, variants, separable parts, decomposition

    created sense