附庸

fùyōng
noun #30,412

Meanings

  1. 1 vassal
  2. 2 dependency
  3. 3 subordinate state
  4. 4 appendage
  5. 5 (figuratively) something/someone reduced to a mere accessory

Examples

Zhège xiǎo guó chéngle dà guó de fùyōng.
The small country became a vassal of the great power.
Tā bù yuàn zuò biéren de fùyōng.
He doesn't want to be anyone's pawn.
Fùyōng fēngyǎ shì yī zhǒng xūwěi de biǎoxiàn.
Pretending to appreciate the arts is a form of pretension.

Tips

history
Originally a Zhou-dynasty term: a 附庸 was a small state too minor to hold direct audience with the Zhou king, so it 'attached' () itself to a larger feudal state. From there the meaning broadened to any subordinate or dependent entity.
usage
The four-character set phrase 附庸风雅 (fùyōng fēngyǎ) — 'to ape cultured tastes' — is a sharp critique of someone who name-drops poetry, art, or wine to seem cultured without actually understanding them. Useful insult.

Stroke Order

yōng