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冠冕堂皇 (guān miǎn táng huáng) — (idiom) high-sounding but insincere; pompous and hypocritical

Definition

A chengyu for words or appearances that sound grand and dignified on the surface but are actually empty or insincere. The tone is negative — it accuses the speaker of hypocrisy, not praise.

idiom
high-sounding but insincerepompous and hypocritical

Examples

  • 冠冕堂皇，。
    Tā shuō dé guān miǎn táng huáng, qí shí yì diǎn yě bù xiǎng bāng máng.
    He talks in a high-sounding way, but actually doesn't want to help at all.
  • 冠冕堂皇，？
    Zhè xiē guān miǎn táng huáng de chéng nuò, shuí huì xiāng xìn ne?
    These high-sounding promises—who would believe them?
  • 冠冕堂皇，。
    Bié xiāng xìn nà zhǒng guān miǎn táng huáng de kǒu hào, yào kàn shí jì xíng dòng.
    Don't believe that kind of pompous slogan; look at actual actions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

冠冕crown
冠guāncrown冕miǎnceremonial crown
联合Coordinate
堂皇grand
堂tánghall皇huángimperial
联合Coordinate

冠 and 冕 are headwear, while 堂 and 皇 evoke a grand hall and imperial splendor, together suggesting a lofty but false appearance.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
冖冖mìhat
寸寸cùnhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
元
元yuán冠guàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

冠 shows a hand putting a hat on a head: 寸 is the hand, 冖 is the hat, and 元 is the head.

Open 冠 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 冕 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔ
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng堂táng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

堂 uses 土 as a ground/earth part and 尚 for sound.

Open 堂 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
𤼽𤼽𤼽
Sound part声符shēngfú
王
王wáng皇huáng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The part 𤼽 originally drew a single peacock feather; 王 was later added to give the sound.

Open 皇 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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