徒有虚名

徒有虛名

túyǒu-xūmíng

idiom #39,009

Meanings

1 to have an undeserved reputation
2 famous in name only
3 all hat and no cattle

Characters

name/reputation

Examples

HSK 5

这家餐厅徒有虚名，菜根本不好吃。

Zhè jiā cāntīng túyǒu-xūmíng, cài gēnběn bù hǎochī.

This restaurant's reputation is undeserved - the food really isn't good.

HSK 7-9

他被吹捧得很厉害，其实徒有虚名。

Tā bèi chuīpěng de hěn lìhài, qíshí túyǒu-xūmíng.

He's been hyped up a lot, but he's actually all reputation and no substance.

Tips

history

From Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三国演义 chapter 95): when Sima Yi (司马懿) hears that Ma Su (马谡) is defending Jieting, he laughs and says the man is 'famous in name only, just a mediocrity.' Ma Su then loses the strategic pass at Jieting (失街亭), one of the great disasters in the novel.

memory

徒 (merely/in vain) + 有 (to have) + 虚 (empty/false) + 名 (name/fame) - 'merely has an empty name.'

Stroke Order

徒 tú

有 yǒu

虚 xū

名 míng