How do you pronounce 虚有其表?

虚有其表 is pronounced xū yǒu qí biǎo in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 虚有其表 literally mean?

Literally, 虚有其表 means “Hollow on the outside”. It is used to mean “to have a good appearance but lack substance”.

Where does 虚有其表 come from?

虚有其表 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 虚有其表?

虚：空；表：表面，外貌。空有好看的外表，实际上不行。指有名无实。

虚有其表 — “To have a good appearance but lack substance”

虚有其表 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to have a good appearance but lack substance”. Merely an outward show; all show and no substance. Literally, “Hollow on the outside”.

Frequency

虚有其表 Pronunciation and Pinyin

虚xū
有yǒu
其qí
表biǎo

虚有其表 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
虚	xū	11	empty, void, unreal, humble, weak
有	yǒu	6	to have or to exist
其	qí	8	its, his, her, their
表	biǎo	8	show, surface, form, watch

Example Sentence with 虚有其表

这家餐厅的装潢虽然豪华，但菜肴的味道却很普通，真是虚有其表。

Although this restaurant's decor is luxurious, the taste of its dishes is very ordinary; it's truly all show and no substance.

Origin and Story of 虚有其表

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang highly regarded Su Tingshuo, the Minister of Public Works, because of his upright character and extensive knowledge. He then ordered the handsome and elegant Xiao Song to draft an imperial edict appointing Su Tingshuo as prime minister.

Emperor Xuanzong asked Xiao Song to modify the phrase "national treasure" to avoid using the character '之' (zhi), which was part of Su Tingshuo's father, Su Zhi's, name, in accordance with naming taboos. However, Xiao Song dared not make such a change, which angered Emperor Xuanzong, who then remarked that Xiao Song was truly all show and no substance (虚有其表).

Idioms Related to 虚有其表

Synonyms of 虚有其表

Antonyms of 虚有其表

More idioms starting with 虚

Questions about 虚有其表

What does 虚有其表 mean?: 虚有其表 (xū yǒu qí biǎo) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to have a good appearance but lack substance”.
How do you pronounce 虚有其表?: 虚有其表 is pronounced xū yǒu qí biǎo in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 虚有其表 literally mean?: Literally, 虚有其表 means “Hollow on the outside”. It is used to mean “to have a good appearance but lack substance”.
Where does 虚有其表 come from?: 虚有其表 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 虚有其表?: 虚：空；表：表面，外貌。空有好看的外表，实际上不行。指有名无实。

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