画饼充饥
画饼充饥 (huà bǐng chōng jī) literally means “draw cakes to alleviate hunger” and expresses “empty promises satisfy nothing”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy. It originates from ancient Chinese literature and remains commonly used in modern Mandarin.
Also searched as: hua bing chong ji, hua bing chong ji,画饼充饥 meaning, 画饼充饥 in english
Empty promises satisfy nothing
Pronunciation: huà bǐng chōng jī
Literal meaning: Draw cakes to alleviate hunger
Origin & Usage
This illusory idiom describes drawing (画) cakes (饼) to satisfy (充) hunger (饥), originating from Jin Dynasty Buddhist parables. It first appeared in teachings illustrating how illusions cannot satisfy material needs, regardless of how appealing they might appear. During the Tang Dynasty, it expanded beyond religious contexts to describe political promises without substantive action. The food imagery created a powerful metaphor for attempting to address physical needs with mere representations. Modern usage criticizes offering insubstantial substitutes for genuine solutions, particularly empty promises or theoretical proposals in place of concrete actions, teaching that symbolic gestures prove inadequate when addressing fundamental needs.
Examples
English: "The company offered empty promises instead of actual raises"
Chinese: 公司提供空洞的承诺而不是实际的加薪
Discover a new Chinese idiom every day with our iOS app.
Related Chinese Idioms
Similar idioms about life philosophy
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 画饼充饥 mean in English?
画饼充饥 (huà bǐng chōng jī) literally translates to “Draw cakes to alleviate hunger” and is used to express “Empty promises satisfy nothing”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.
When is 画饼充饥 used?
Situation: This idiom applies when describing situations involving empty promises satisfy nothing.
What is the pinyin for 画饼充饥?
The pinyin pronunciation for 画饼充饥 is “huà bǐng chōng jī”.