南郭先生 — “An incompetent person who occupies a position of responsibility”

Q: What is the Chinese definition of 南郭先生?

比喻无才而占据其位的人。

南郭先生 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “an incompetent person who occupies a position of responsibility”. An impostor who pretends to be skilled or knowledgeable; a charlatan. Literally, “Mr. Nanguo”.

Frequency

南郭先生 Pronunciation and Pinyin

南郭先生 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
南	nán	9	south direction
郭	guō	11	city outer wall or frame
先	xiān	6	First, before, or ancestors
生	shēng	5	to be born, grow, or live

Example Sentence with 南郭先生

公司里有些南郭先生，坐在重要岗位上却不思进取，耽误了团队发展。

There are some Mr. Nanguos in the company who sit in important positions but are complacent, hindering the team's progress.

Origin and Story of 南郭先生

During the Warring States period, King Xuan of Qi was very fond of listening to ensemble performances of the yu (a wind instrument). Mr. Nanguo, a lazy and untalented man, found a way to join the royal orchestra. He pretended to be an expert, nodding his head and swaying his body as if he were deeply engrossed in the music, even though he didn't know how to play.

Not long after, King Xuan died, and his son, King Min, ascended the throne. King Min, however, preferred to listen to solo yu performances.

Mr. Nanguo became nervous, fearing his deception would be exposed. That very night, he secretly fled the palace.