表面文章 (biǎo miàn wén zhāng) — (figurative) mere show; superficial work; lip service; tokenism

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'mere show' or 'lip service' — work that looks good on the surface but has no real substance. Always negative, criticizing empty formality rather than praising it.

noun
(figurative) mere showsuperficial worklip servicetokenism

Examples

  • 表面文章，。
    Tā zhī huì zuò biǎo miàn wén zhāng, cóng lái bù jiě jué shí jì wèn tí.
    He only knows how to do superficial work and never solves real problems.
  • 表面文章，。
    Zhè ge bào gào quán shì biǎo miàn wén zhāng, méi yǒu yì diǎn yǒu yòng de shù jù.
    This report is all lip service—it doesn't contain any useful data.
  • 表面文章。
    Gōng sī hěn tǎo yàn biǎo miàn wén zhāng shì de xíng shì zhǔ yì.
    The company really dislikes formalism of the 'superficial show' kind.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

表面surface
表biǎosurface面miànface
联合Side by side
文章writing
文wénwriting章zhāngchapter
联合Side by side

表面, the outside, joined with 文章, written work, suggests work done only for show.

Characters in this word

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

The shape 表 pairs 衣 (garment) with 毛 (hair or feather), originally an outer garment.

Open 表 →

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

面 originally drew a man’s face, with one eye exaggerated; the horizontal stroke was added later.

Open 面 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The current form 文 shows a man with head, arms, legs, and chest; the tattoo marks on the chest are no longer drawn.

Open 文 →

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

章 shows a chisel piercing a piece of jade in the middle. It originally meant treating jade.

Open 章 →

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