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liánhéSide by side

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

冠冕crown
冠guāncrown冕miǎnceremonial crown
联合Side by side
堂皇grand
堂tánghall皇huángimperial
联合Side by side

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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