漂亮话

漂亮話

piàolianghuà

noun #31,677

Meanings

1 fine-sounding empty words
2 lip service
3 talk that won't be backed up

Characters

to drift; (in 漂亮:) handsome

bright (compound 漂亮 = pretty)

Examples

他只会说漂亮话，不肯做实事。

Tā zhǐ huì shuō piàolianghuà, bù kěn zuò shíshì.

He only knows how to talk a good game; he refuses to do the real work.

别再说漂亮话了，拿出行动来！

Bié zài shuō piàolianghuà le, ná chū xíngdòng lái!

Stop with the empty pretty words — show some action!

Tips

register

Strongly negative — 漂亮 ('pretty/handsome') is sarcastic here: words that sound nice but have no substance. Compare English 'lip service' or 'talk the talk'. The phrase usually appears with 说 'say' or 讲, often with 只会/只知道 ('only knows how to').

Stroke Order

漂 piào

亮 liàng

话 huà