yǒu
biǎo

idiom
common

Meaning of 虚有其表

虚有其表 means outwardly attractive but inwardly lacking; all show and no substance. Pronounced xū yǒu qí biǎo.

  • outwardly attractive but inwardly lacking; all show and no substance

Definitions & Examples

Zhè
rén
yǒu
biǎo
 
shí
shàng
méi
shén
me
zhēn
běn
shi
 

This person is all show and no substance; he actually has no real ability.

Zhè
jiàn
chǎn
pǐn
yǒu
biǎo
 
zhì
liàng
hěn
chà
 

This product looks good on the outside but is actually of very poor quality.

zuò
lóu
yǒu
biǎo
 
nèi
jié
gòu
cún
zài
ān
quán
yǐn
huàn
 

That building is outwardly impressive but has hidden safety hazards in its internal structure.

yào
bèi
de
wài
biǎo
huò
 
guò
shì
yǒu
biǎo
le
 

Don't be fooled by his appearance; he's merely putting on a show.