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Open the tool →色厉内荏 (sè lì nèi rěn) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Outwardly stern and fierce, but inwardly timid and weak”.
色厉内荏 is pronounced sè lì nèi rěn in Mandarin Chinese.
Literally, 色厉内荏 means “Fierce in appearance, timid inside”. It is used to mean “Outwardly stern and fierce, but inwardly timid and weak”.
色:神色,样子;厉:凶猛;荏:软弱。外表强更,内心虚弱。