画饼充饥

畫餅充飢
huàbǐngchōngjī
idiom #76,043

Meanings

  1. 1 drawing a cake to satisfy hunger
  2. 2 feeding oneself on illusions

Examples

Guāng kào kōngxiǎng zhuàn qián, búguò shì huàbǐngchōngjī.
Relying on daydreams to make money is just drawing a cake to cure hunger.
Tā xǔ xià de chéngnuò dōu shì huàbǐngchōngjī.
His promises are all empty consolations.

Tips

history
From 《三国··》: Emperor Wen of Wei told his minister Lu Yu that 'fame is like a cake drawn on the ground — you cannot eat it.' Recruit people by real ability, not reputation. Often paired with 望梅止渴 as two ways of consoling oneself with what does not exist.

Stroke Order

huà
bǐng
chōng