CHENGYU
滥竽充数(làn yú chōng shù)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- literary, often humorous
- Source:
- 《韩非子·内储说上》
MEANING
- Literal
- to pass oneself off among the yu players
- Figurative meaning
- to hold a place without real ability; to pad out with inferior things
ORIGIN STORY
King Xuan of Qi loved the yu and had three hundred players perform together. A man named Nanguo, who could not play at all, joined the band and drew a salary. When the new king preferred solo performances, Nanguo fled.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“to be a seat-filler”
EXAMPLES
我不会唱歌，在合唱队里只是滥竽充数。Wǒ bù huì chànggē, zài héchàngduì lǐ zhǐ shì làn yú chōng shù.HSK6
I cannot sing; in the choir I am just filling a seat.
产品不能滥竽充数，质量一定要过关。Chǎnpǐn bù néng làn yú chōng shù, zhìliàng yídìng yào guòguān.HSK6
Products must not be padded out with inferior ones; quality must pass muster.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: Often used modestly about oneself; about goods it means passing off inferior items.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Tap a character to explore it
TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01