外强中干 (wài jiàng) — strong in appearance but weak in reality; a paper tiger
Definition
Idiom: 'strong outside, dry within' — something that looks powerful on the surface but is actually hollow and weak inside, like a paper tiger.
idiom
strong in appearance but weak in realitya paper tiger
Examples
- ，外强中干，。Zhè jiā gōng sī kàn qǐ lái hěn qiáng, qí shí shì wài jiàng, yǐ jīng qiàn le hěn duō qián.This company looks strong, but in reality it's a paper tiger, already in a lot of debt.
- ，外强中干，。Tā wài biǎo hěn qiáng, qí shí shì wài jiàng, yí yù dào wèn tí jiù huāng le.He looks tough on the surface, but he's a paper tiger; he panics as soon as he faces a problem.
- ，外强中干。Dí rén de jūn duì biǎo miàn shàng hěn qiáng dà, shí jì shang shì wài jiàng.The enemy's army appears powerful on the surface, but is actually a paper tiger.
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