歌舞升平 (gē wǔ shēng píng) — (idiom) to create a false show of peace and prosperity; to maintain a facade of harmony

Definition

Idiom meaning 'to put on a false show of peace and prosperity' — used critically to describe officials or media papering over real problems with festive illusions.

idiom
to create a false show of peace and prosperityto maintain a facade of harmony

Examples

  • 歌舞升平，。
    Zhèng fǔ de xuān chuán gōng zuò zǒng shì zài gē wǔ shēng píng, yǎn gài shè huì wèn tí.
    The government's propaganda work is always putting on a false show of peace, covering up social problems.
  • ，歌舞升平，。
    Miàn duì jīng jì wēi jī, tā men hái zài gē wǔ shēng píng, bú yuàn chéng rèn xiàn shí.
    Facing the economic crisis, they are still putting on a false show of peace and prosperity, unwilling to admit reality.
  • 歌舞升平，。
    Zhè chǎng wǎn huì de zhǔ tí wán quán shì gē wǔ shēng píng, méi yǒu fǎn yìng rén mín de zhēn shí shēng huó.
    The theme of this party is completely a false show of peace, not reflecting the real lives of the people.

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.

歌舞songs and dances
歌gēsong舞wǔdance
联合Side by side
升平peace and prosperity
升shēngflourishing平píngpeace
联合Side by side

「歌舞」songs and dances and「升平」peace and prosperity together evoke a show of peace.

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
欠欠qiànblow
Sound part声符shēngfú
哥
哥gē歌gē
Same sound today

The shape 歌 uses 哥 for the sound and 欠, meaning blow. It came from a form of 哥 used for singing.

Open 歌 →

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
舛舛chuǎnsteps, feet in convergent direction
Sound part声符shēngfú
無
無wú舞wǔ
Same sound today

舞 combines 舛, showing feet in converging steps, with 無 above. 無 gave the sound and also preserved its older meaning of dancing, so the shape points to dancing.

Open 舞 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape comes from a drawing of a standard dipper used to measure one 升.

Open 升 →

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

The origin is uncertain. One explanation combines 八 (division) and 亏 (exhaled air) to show smooth speech.

Open 平 →

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