徒有虚名 (tú yǒu xū míng) — to have an undeserved reputation; to be all show and no substance

Definition

A four-character idiom meaning someone or something has a reputation with no real ability behind it — all image, no substance. Usually used to criticize a person, company, or title that is all show.

idiom
to have an undeserved reputationto be all show and no substance

Examples

  • 徒有虚名，。
    Zhè ge yǎn yuán tú yǒu xū míng, yǎn jì qí shí hěn chà.
    This actor has a reputation that isn't deserved; his acting skills are actually very poor.
  • 徒有虚名，。
    Nà jiā gōng sī tú yǒu xū míng, chǎn pǐn zhì liàng gēn běn bù xíng.
    That company has a hollow reputation; its product quality is simply no good.
  • 徒有虚名。
    Bié xiāng xìn nà xiē tú yǒu xū míng de suǒ wèi zhuān jiā.
    Don't trust those so-called experts who have nothing but an empty title.

Origin

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
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
土
土tǔ徒tú
Same sound today

徒 originally paired 辵, a walking sign, with 土 to show its sound. The shape later changed into 彳 and 走.

Open 徒 →

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
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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 虛; 虚 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
丘丘qiūhill
Sound part声符shēngfú
虍
虍hū虛xū
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 虛 pairs the upper 虍, which gives the sound, with a lower part shaped like 丘, 'hill'; the simplified 虚 is a later shorthand.

Open 虚 →

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

名 puts 夕 (crescent moon) above 口 (mouth), showing a name spoken in the dark.

Open 名 →

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