xūwén

虚文

Word · NounTraditional虛文

empty formalities; meaningless ceremony

Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma

Meanings

2 senses · 6 examples
1.

noun

empty formality; mere formality; meaningless document

formal

Often used in legal, official, or bureaucratic contexts to describe documents or rules that exist only on paper without real enforcement or substance.

Zhè这
bù不
guò过
shì是
yī一
zhǐ纸
xū虚
wén文
 。

This is nothing but a meaningless piece of paper.

Tú徒
jù具
xū虚
wén文
 ，
háo毫
wú无
shí实
jì际
xiào效
yòng用
 。

It exists only as an empty formality with no practical use whatsoever.

Show 1 more example
Nà那
xiē些
guī规
dìng定
zǎo早
yǐ已
chéng成
wéi为
xū虚
wén文
 。

Those regulations have long since become dead letters.

2.

noun

meaningless etiquette; empty ceremony; pointless ritual

formal

Refers to social customs, rituals, or formalities that have lost their original significance or purpose, often implying tediousness or hypocrisy.

Zhè这
xiē些
xū虚
wén文
fú浮
lǐ礼
 ，
néng能
miǎn免
zé则
miǎn免
 。

These empty formalities should be avoided whenever possible.

Tā他
tǎo讨
yàn厌
nà那
xiē些
xū虚
wén文
rù缛
jié节
 。

He hates those tedious formalities.

Show 1 more example
Zhēn真
zhèng正
de的
péng朋
yǒu友
zhī之
jiān间
bù不
xū需
yào要
xū虚
wén文
 。

True friends do not need empty formalities between them.