Words & Speech
有名無實
유명무실
yǒu míng wú shí
Yu-myeong-mu-sil
有
있을 유
名
이름 명
無
없을 무
實
열매 실
Character by character
Meaning
A name without substance — the sign is up but nothing is behind it.
Origin
Found in the Guoyu and the Book of the Later Han, both used of a name that no longer matches the thing.
How it is used
Said of a rule or a body that exists on paper and does nothing.
Hanja有名無實
Simplified有名无实
Korean reading유명무실
Pinyinyǒu míng wú shí
Frequently asked questions
Q. What does Yu-myeong-mu-sil mean?
有名無實 · A name without substance — the sign is up but nothing is behind it.
Q. Where does Yu-myeong-mu-sil come from?
Found in the Guoyu and the Book of the Later Han, both used of a name that no longer matches the thing.
Q. How is Yu-myeong-mu-sil used?
Said of a rule or a body that exists on paper and does nothing.
Idioms in the same group
言中有骨 Eon-jung-yu-golThere is bone inside the words — a hard meaning hidden in an ordinary remark.寸鐵殺人 Chon-cheol-sa-rinKill with an inch of steel — pierce the vital point with a few words.以心傳心 I-sim-jeon-simMind transmits to mind — understanding without a word spoken.甘言利說 Gam-eon-i-seolSweet words and seemingly advantageous talk — the language of enticement.有口無言 Yu-gu-mu-eonYou have a mouth but nothing to say.金科玉條 Geum-gwa-ok-joArticles of gold and jade — a rule to be kept without exception.
The idioms used in Korea mix phrases from the Chinese classics with ones coined in Korea. Where an expression is not used in China, the entry says so.