How do you pronounce 叶公好龙?

叶公好龙 is pronounced as "yè gōng hào lóng" in Mandarin Chinese.

叶公好龙

Q: What does 叶公好龙 mean?

叶公好龙 (yè gōng hào lóng) literally means "Lord Ye loves dragons" and metaphorically means "Professed love hiding actual fear". It belongs to the Relationships & Character category of Chinese idioms.

Q: When is 叶公好龙 used?

叶公好龙 is used when The executive claimed to value innovation but rejected every new idea presented.

叶公好龙 (yè gōng hào lóng) literally means “lord ye loves dragons” and expresses “professed love hiding actual fear”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving relationships and character.

Also searched as: ye gong hao long, ye gong hao long,叶公好龙 meaning, 叶公好龙 in english

Professed love hiding actual fear

Pronunciation: yè gōng hào lóng Literal meaning: Lord Ye loves dragons

Origin & Usage

Lord Ye (叶公) loved (好) dragons (龙): they were on his belt-hooks, on his chisels, carved through the rooms of his house. The real dragon heard of it and came, put its head in at the window and its tail into the hall, and Lord Ye ran with his wits gone. Liu Xiang tells it against a ruler who said he wanted good advisers. The phrase describes an enthusiasm that has never been tested against its object, and it gets used of people who welcome change, criticism or talent in principle.

Examples

English: "The executive claimed to value innovation but rejected every new idea presented"

Chinese: 这位高管声称重视创新，但拒绝了提出的每一个新想法

Related Chinese Idioms

Similar idioms about relationships & character

刻舟求剑

kè zhōu qiú jiàn

Using outdated methods foolishly

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愚公移山

yú gōng yí shān

Persistence overcomes huge obstacles

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虎踞龙盘

hǔ jù lóng pán

Commanding imposing strategic position

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直捣黄龙

zhí dǎo huáng lóng

Strike directly at the heart of enemy territory

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来龙去脉

lái lóng qù mài

The whole story; causes and effects

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狐假虎威

hú jiǎ hǔ wēi

Borrow authority to intimidate

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大公无私

dà gōng wú sī

Completely impartial without self-interest

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开诚布公

kāi chéng bù gōng

Be candid and fair

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does 叶公好龙 mean in English?

叶公好龙 (yè gōng hào lóng) literally translates to “Lord Ye loves dragons” and is used to express “Professed love hiding actual fear”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Relationships & Character category.