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金玉其表，败絮其中

jīn yù qí biǎo , bài xù qí zhōngdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
gilded exterior, shabby and ruined on the inside (idiom)
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-8595787dcb637834. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

金玉其表，敗絮其中 金玉其表，败絮其中 [jin1 yu4 qi2 biao3 , bai4 xu4 qi2 zhong1] /gilded exterior, shabby and ruined on the inside (idiom)/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 金玉其表，敗絮其中

  • 金
    jīn

    gold / chemical element Au / generic term for lustrous and ductile metals / money / golden / highly respected / one of the eight categories of ancient musical instruments 八音[bā yīn]

    Jīn

    surname Jin / surname Kim (Korean) / Jurchen Jin dynasty (1115–1234)

  • 玉
    yù

    jade

  • 其
    qí

    his / her / its / their / that / such / it (refers to sth preceding it)

  • 表
    biǎo

    exterior surface / family relationship via females / to show (one's opinion) / a model / a table (listing information) / a form / a meter (measuring sth) / watch (timepiece) / meter / gauge

  • 败
    bài

    to defeat / to damage / to lose (to an opponent) / to fail / to wither

  • 絮
    xù

    cotton wadding / fig. padding / long-winded

  • 其
    qí

    his / her / its / their / that / such / it (refers to sth preceding it)

  • 中
    zhōng

    within / among / in / middle / center / while (doing sth) / during / (dialect) OK / all right

    zhòng

    to hit (a target) / to be struck by (a bullet, illness etc) / to win (a prize or lottery)

    Zhōng

    (bound form) China / Chinese / surname Zhong

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.