外强中干 — “Outwardly strong but inwardly weak”
外强中干 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Outwardly strong but inwardly weak”. Appearing robust but lacking substance or inner strength. Literally, “Outwardly strong, inwardly dry/hollow”.
外强中干 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 外wài
- 强qiáng
- 中zhōng
- 干gān
外强中干 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 外强中干
Origin and Story of 外强中干
A war broke out between the Qin and Jin states. Duke Hui of Jin decided to use horses gifted by the Zheng state for his chariots.
His minister, Qing Zheng, advised him, saying, "Since ancient times, when going to war, one should always use good horses from one's own country. They are native, familiar with the roads, and easy to command. Foreign horses are difficult to control; if they encounter anything unexpected, they will kick and neigh wildly. Moreover, these horses might look strong on the outside, but they are actually lacking in true ability (outwardly strong but inwardly weak). How can they be used for battle?"
However, Duke Hui did not heed Qing Zheng's advice. When the battle began, Jin's chariots and horses ran amok, quickly getting stuck in the mud and unable to advance or retreat. As a result, they were utterly defeated by the Qin army, and Duke Hui of Jin was captured alive.
Idioms Related to 外强中干
Synonyms of 外强中干
Antonyms of 外强中干
More idioms starting with 外
- wài外jiāo交cí词lìng令formal evasive diplomatic language
- wài外jiāo交cí辞lìng令polite but empty rhetoric
- wài外qīn亲nèi内shū疏outwardly close, inwardly distant
- wài外lì厉nèi内rěn荏outwardly strong, inwardly weak
- wài外hé合lǐ里chà差outwardly agreeable but inwardly disagreeing
- wài外hé合lǐ里yìng应external attack, internal support
- wài外kuān宽nèi内jì忌Outwardly tolerant, inwardly resentful
- wài外kuān宽nèi内míng明outwardly tolerant, inwardly discerning
- wài外kuān宽nèi内shēn深outwardly kind, inwardly cunning
- wài外qiǎo巧nèi内jí嫉Outwardly clever, inwardly jealous
Questions about 外强中干
- What does 外强中干 mean?
- 外强中干 (wài qiáng zhōng gān) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Outwardly strong but inwardly weak”.
- How do you pronounce 外强中干?
- 外强中干 is pronounced wài qiáng zhōng gān in Mandarin Chinese.
- What does 外强中干 literally mean?
- Literally, 外强中干 means “Outwardly strong, inwardly dry/hollow”. It is used to mean “Outwardly strong but inwardly weak”.
- Where does 外强中干 come from?
- 外强中干 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 外强中干?
- 干：枯竭。形容外表强壮，内里空虚。