庐山真面目

廬山真面目

Lúshān zhēnmiànmù

idiom

Meanings

1 the true face of Mount Lu
2 the real truth behind appearances

Characters

(surname/place name)

eye; appearance

Examples

调查终于揭开了事件的庐山真面目。

Diàochá zhōngyú jiēkāi le shìjiàn de Lúshān zhēnmiànmù.

The investigation finally revealed the true face of the incident.

认识一个人要时间，才能看清庐山真面目。

Rènshí yíge rén yào shíjiān, cáinéng kàn qīng Lúshān zhēnmiànmù.

Getting to know someone takes time before their true nature becomes clear.

Tips

history

From Su Shi's 《题西林壁》 (Song dynasty): '不识庐山真面目，只缘身在此山中' — you can't see Lushan's true shape because you're standing inside it. A parable about perspective.

Stroke Order

庐 lú

山 shān

真 zhēn

面 miàn

目 mù