滥竽充数 (làn yú chōng shù) — to hold a position without the required qualifications; to be a token member just to make up the numbers

Definition

An idiom meaning to pretend to have a skill by hiding among the genuinely capable, or to fill a slot without real ability. Comes from a story about a man who faked playing the yu (竽) in a royal orchestra.

idiom
to hold a position without the required qualificationsto be a token member just to make up the numbers

Examples

  • 滥竽充数，。
    Tā zài gōng sī lǐ zhǐ shì làn yú chōng shù, shén me shí jì gōng zuò dōu bú zuò.
    He's just a token member in the company; he doesn't do any real work.
  • 滥竽充数，。
    Zhè ge tuán duì lǐ yǒu rén làn yú chōng shù, yǐng xiǎng le zhěng tǐ xiào lǜ.
    There are people in this team who are just making up numbers, which affects overall efficiency.
  • ，滥竽充数。
    Zhāo pìn shí yí dìng yào yán gé kǎo hé, bì miǎn làn yú chōng shù de qíng kuàng.
    When hiring, you must strictly evaluate candidates to avoid the situation of having unqualified people filling positions.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

滥竽unqualified yu player
滥lànunqualified竽yúyu instrument
偏正Modifier + head
充数fill the count
充chōngfill数shùnumber
动宾Verb + object

"滥竽" an unqualified yu player and "充数" filling the count describe holding a place just to make up numbers.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 濫; 滥 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
監
監jiān濫làn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 濫 pairs 水, water, with 監 to give the sound; the simplified 滥 is a later shorthand.

Open 滥 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 𠫓𠫓𠫓a newborn
  • 儿儿érstanding person

充 pairs 𠫓, a newborn, with 儿, a standing person, to picture a newborn growing to stand.

Open 充 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 數; 数 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
婁
婁lóu數shù(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 數 pairs 攴, the meaning part, with 婁, the sound part; the simplified 数 is a shorthand.

Open 数 →

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