Chinese word

滥竽充数

Pronunciation

Pinyinlàn yú chōng shù

Meaning

  • idiompretend to be an expert

Example

他只是在公司里滥竽充数。tā zhǐ shì zài gōng sī lǐ làn yú chōng shù

He is just pretending to be an expert at the company.

Illustration for 滥竽充数 (pretend to be an expert)

More examples

这次演出质量太差，演员里有几位只是滥竽充数。zhè cì yǎn chū zhì liàng tài chà yǎn yuán lǐ yǒu jǐ wèi zhǐ shì làn yú chōng shù

The quality of this performance was very poor, and several of the actors were just making up the numbers.

Core concept

A full-looking team hides someone who occupies a place without adding real ability.

Common phrases

  • 被指责为滥竽充数bèi zhǐ zé wèi làn yú chōng shù

    be accused of pretending to be an expert

  • 滥竽充数的人làn yú chōng shù de rén

    a person who makes up the numbers

  • 在团队中滥竽充数zài tuán duì zhōng làn yú chōng shù

    make up the numbers on a team

Similar words

鱼目混珠yú mù hùn zhū: Hiding fake or inferior items among genuine ones to deceive people.
名不副实míng bú fù shí: Having a stated identity or value that does not match the actual content.
虚有其表xū yǒu qí biǎo: Having a fine-looking surface but little or no real substance.

Definition in Chinese

用没有真才实学的人凑数，表面上名义齐全但实际上没有价值。yòng méi yǒu zhēn cái shí xué de rén còu shù biǎo miàn shàng míng yì qí quán dàn shí jì shàng méi yǒu jià zhí

Word origin

The idiom recalls a man who could not play the 竽 (yú, "ancient reed instrument") but hid in an ensemble, merely filling its number.

Usage tips

  • In workplace talk, it usually criticizes a person's contribution to a group, so specific examples make the judgment clearer than using the idiom as a bare label.

Other meanings

  • make up the numbersidiom

Opposites

Word lists with this word