子虚乌有 (zǐ xū wū) — sheer fiction; something completely made up; imaginary
Definition
A four-character idiom meaning something is entirely fabricated and has no basis in reality. A more literary, emphatic alternative to plain words like 假的.
idiom
sheer fictionsomething completely made upimaginary
Examples
- 子虚乌有，。Tā shuō de nà jiàn shì wán quán shì zǐ xū wū, gēn běn méi yǒu fā shēng.That thing he said is completely fictitious; it never happened.
- 子虚乌有。Zhè lèi zǐ xū wū de chuán yán zài wǎng luò shàng liú chuán hěn kuài.This kind of groundless rumor spreads quickly online.
- 子虚乌有，。Bú yào xiāng xìn nà xiē zǐ xū wū de gù shi, dōu shì biān zào de.Don't believe those fabricated stories; they are all made up.
Appears in
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