ornament; useless showpiece
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 6 examplesnoun
ornament; decoration; knick-knack
neutralRefers to decorative items, especially artworks, placed in a room for aesthetic purposes.
Zhuō桌
shàng上
de的
xiǎo小
bǎi摆
she设
shì是
tā她
cóng从
guó国
wài外
dài带
huí回
lái来
de的
。
The small ornaments on the table were brought back by her from abroad.
Kè客
tīng厅
lǐ里
de的
bǎi摆
she设
shí十
fēn分
yǎ雅
zhì致
。
The decorations in the living room are very elegant.
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Zhè这
jiā家
bó博
wù物
guǎn馆
shōu收
cáng藏
le了
hěn很
duō多
jīng精
měi美
de的
bǎi摆
she设
。
This museum houses many exquisite ornaments.
noun
useless ornament; showpiece; white elephant
informalUsed metaphorically to describe something or someone that looks good but has no practical value or function. Can be mildly derogatory.
Zhè这
ge个
bù部
mén门
chéng成
le了
gōng公
sī司
de的
bǎi摆
she设
，
méi没
shén什
me么
shí实
jì际
zuò作
yòng用
。
This department has become a useless showpiece for the company, serving little practical purpose.
Tā他
nà那
liàng辆
chē车
zhǐ只
shì是
ge个
bǎi摆
she设
，
jī几
hū乎
cóng从
lái来
bù不
kāi开
。
His car is just a useless ornament; he almost never drives it.
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Bié别
bǎ把
tā他
dàng当
bǎi摆
she设
，
tā他
yě也
shì是
tuán团
duì队
de的
yī一
yuán员
。
Don't treat him as just a decoration; he's also a member of the team.