Definition
敷衍 (fūyǎn) means to do something in a half-hearted, going-through-the-motions way, often to brush someone off or just get by. It's a verb that can take an object (e.g., 敷衍我 'brush me off'). 走过场 (zǒu guò chǎng) is a set phrase for empty formality, often in procedures; 含糊 (hánhu) is an adjective describing vague or perfunctory behavior.
verb
to do something perfunctorilyto go through the motionsto get by or scrape along with minimal effort (e.g., barely enough food to last)
Examples
- ，。Tā zuòshì zǒngshì fū yǎn liǎo shì, cóng bú yòngxīn.He always does things perfunctorily and never puts his heart into it.
- 敷衍，。Bié fū yǎn wǒ le, qǐng gěi wǒ yí gè míngquè de dáfù.Don't just brush me off — please give me a clear answer.
- 敷衍，。Zhè diǎn shíwù hái néng fū yǎn liǎng tiān, zhōumò zài qù mǎi.This food can last a couple more days; we'll buy more on the weekend.
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