言不由衷

Pronunciation: yán bù yóu zhōng Literal meaning: Words not from heart

Origin & Usage

The Zuo Zhuan observes that where trust does not come from within — 信不由中 — pledges are worthless however elaborately they are dressed up. Words (言) that do not proceed (不由) from what is inside (衷) may be perfectly courteous and still mean nothing at all. The phrase is about the gap between what is said and what is held, not about lying: one can say something false without it, and something true with it. The polite insincerity both parties can hear is its territory, and that is a commoner failure than deceit.

Examples

English: "His praise felt empty because it didn't match his actions"

Chinese: 他的赞美感觉空洞，因为与他的行动不符