换汤不换药 (huàn tāng bù huàn yào) — to change the form but not the substance; a cosmetic change that leaves the essence unaltered
Definition
Literally 'change the soup but not the medicine': used to criticize a change that is only on the surface, while the core stays the same. Common in critical or skeptical contexts about reforms, policies, or products.
idiom
to change the form but not the substancea cosmetic change that leaves the essence unaltered
Examples
- ，换汤不换药，。Zhè jiā gōng sī zhǐ shì gǎi le bāo zhuāng, huàn tāng bù huàn yào, chǎn pǐn zhì liàng gēn běn méi tí gāo.This company just changed the packaging — it's the same old thing; the product quality hasn't improved at all.
- ，换汤不换药，。Xīn zhèng cè kàn qǐ lái bù tóng, dàn huàn tāng bù huàn yào, lǎo bǎi xìng de fù dān bìng méi yǒu jiǎn qīng.The new policy looks different, but it's just a change of form; the burden on ordinary people hasn't been reduced.
- ，换汤不换药，。Tā huàn le gè fà xíng, dàn huàn tāng bù huàn yào, hái shì nà fù lǎo yàng zi.He changed his hairstyle, but it's the same old him — nothing really changed.
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