冠冕堂皇

guānmiǎn-tánghuáng
idiom #24,536

Meanings

  1. 1 high-sounding
  2. 2 sanctimonious
  3. 3 pompous
  4. 4 self-righteous and grandiose

Examples

HSK 7-9
Tā shuō dehuà guānmiǎn-tánghuáng, dàn shíjìshàng dōu shì jièkǒu.
What he said sounded high-minded, but it was all just excuses.
HSK 7-9
Zhèxiē guānmiǎn-tánghuáng de guānfāng shēngmíng yǎngài bù liǎo zhēnxiàng.
These pompous official statements cannot conceal the truth.

Tips

memory
Literally 'crown and cap, hall and imperial' - images of official grandeur. The idiom evokes someone dressed up in regal regalia, speaking with inflated self-importance to hide their real motives.

Stroke Order

guān
miǎn
táng
huáng