- 华而不实 huá'érbùshí flashy and without substanceliterally meaning "flowers but no fruit"; used to describe something with a handsome exterior but hollow inside or someone who is superficially clever
- 秀而不实 xiù'érbùshí flowering but bearing no fruitflowering but bearing no fruit; refers to plants that bloom without producing seeds. Also describes someone who shows early promise but fails to achieve anything significant, or something that looks impressive on the outside but lacks substance.
- 浮而不实 fú'érbùshí superficial and insubstantialshowy and flashy but lacking in substance; superficial and pretentious