What does 金玉其外，败絮其中 mean?

金玉其外，败絮其中 (jīn yù qí wài ， bài xù qí zhōng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Outwardly splendid but inwardly corrupt”.

How do you pronounce 金玉其外，败絮其中?

金玉其外，败絮其中 is pronounced jīn yù qí wài ， bài xù qí zhōng in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 金玉其外，败絮其中 literally mean?

Literally, 金玉其外，败絮其中 means “Golden and jade on the outside, rotten floccules within”. It is used to mean “Outwardly splendid but inwardly corrupt”.

Where does 金玉其外，败絮其中 come from?

金玉其外，败絮其中 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 金玉其外，败絮其中?

金玉：比喻华美；败絮：烂棉花。外面象金象玉，里面却是破棉絮。比喻外表很华美，而里面一团糟。

金玉其外，败絮其中 — “Outwardly splendid but inwardly corrupt”

金玉其外，败絮其中 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Outwardly splendid but inwardly corrupt”. Fair without, foul within; beautiful on the outside but worthless or rotten on the inside. Literally, “Golden and jade on the outside, rotten floccules within”.

Frequency

金玉其外，败絮其中 Pronunciation and Pinyin

金jīn
玉yù
其qí
外wài
，，
败bài
絮xù
其qí
中zhōng

金玉其外，败絮其中 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
金	jīn	8	gold, metal, money
玉	yù	5	jade, precious, beautiful
其	qí	8	its, his, her, their
外	wài	5	outside, foreign, unofficial
，	，	—
败	bài	8	lose, fail, defeat, ruin
絮	xù	12	cotton lint or to nag
其	qí	8	its, his, her, their
中	zhōng	4	middle, in, China, hit, win

Example Sentence with 金玉其外，败絮其中

这款手机虽然外观华丽，但性能却非常糟糕，完全是金玉其外，败絮其中，不值得购买。

Although this phone has a luxurious appearance, its performance is terrible; it is truly golden and jade on the outside but rotten floccules within, and not worth buying at all.

Origin and Story of 金玉其外，败絮其中

Once upon a time, in Hangzhou, there was a fruit seller who was very skilled at preserving tangerines.

The tangerines he preserved looked golden and jade-like on the outside, but inside they were like rotten cotton floccules. A buyer accused him of deceiving people.

The seller replied that there were many deceivers in the world, including civil and military officials who did not serve the people. Were they not also 'golden and jade on the outside, but rotten floccules within'?

Idioms Related to 金玉其外，败絮其中

Synonyms of 金玉其外，败絮其中

huá华ér而bù不shí实showy but without substance

More idioms starting with 金

Questions about 金玉其外，败絮其中

What does 金玉其外，败絮其中 mean?: 金玉其外，败絮其中 (jīn yù qí wài ， bài xù qí zhōng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Outwardly splendid but inwardly corrupt”.
How do you pronounce 金玉其外，败絮其中?: 金玉其外，败絮其中 is pronounced jīn yù qí wài ， bài xù qí zhōng in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 金玉其外，败絮其中 literally mean?: Literally, 金玉其外，败絮其中 means “Golden and jade on the outside, rotten floccules within”. It is used to mean “Outwardly splendid but inwardly corrupt”.
Where does 金玉其外，败絮其中 come from?: 金玉其外，败絮其中 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 金玉其外，败絮其中?: 金玉：比喻华美；败絮：烂棉花。外面象金象玉，里面却是破棉絮。比喻外表很华美，而里面一团糟。

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