| 滥竽充数 |
làn yú chōng shù |
lit. to play the yu 竽 mouth organ to make up numbers (idiom); fig. to make up the numbers with inferior products / to masquerade as having an ability / token member of a group |
| 滥 |
làn |
overflowing / excessive / indiscriminate |
| 滥竽 |
làn yú |
indiscriminately included in company (without any qualification) / see 滥竽充数 |
| 竽 |
yú |
free reed wind instrument similar to the sheng 笙, used in ancient China |
| 充 |
chōng |
sufficient; full / to fill / to serve as; to act as / to act falsely as; to pose as |
| 充数 |
chōng shù |
to make up the number (i.e. to fill places up to a given number) / to serve as stopgap |
| 数 |
shǔ |
to count / to count as; to regard as / to enumerate; to list |
| 数 |
shù |
number; figure / several; a few |
| 数 |
shuò |
(literary) frequently; repeatedly |