画饼

畫餅

huàbǐng

verb

Meanings

1 to draw a pancake (fig.)
2 to make empty promises
3 short for 画饼充饥; often used like 画大饼 in workplace contexts

Characters

flatbread, pancake

Examples

他只会画饼，从来不兑现。

Tā zhǐ huì huàbǐng, cónglái bù duìxiàn.

All he does is draw pancakes — he never follows through.

公司又开始画饼了。

Gōngsī yòu kāishǐ huàbǐng le.

The company is at it with the empty promises again.

Tips

history

Shortened from the chengyu 画饼充饥, derived per 《三国志·魏志·卢毓传》: 魏明帝 told official 卢毓 that picking officials by reputation alone is like 画地作饼，不可啖也 ('drawing a pancake on the ground — you can't actually eat it'). The two-character 画饼 later became the standalone verb used in modern office slang.

Stroke Order

画 huà

饼 bǐng