fūyǎn: 敷衍 - To be Perfunctory, To Go Through the Motions
Quick Summary
Keywords: fuyan, 敷衍, fuyan meaning, Chinese perfunctory, go through the motions in Chinese, half-hearted Chinese, 敷衍了事, fuyansai, 应付, 马虎, how to use fuyan
Summary: Learn the meaning of 敷衍 (fūyǎn), a crucial Chinese term for describing an action that is done perfunctorily, half-heartedly, or just to get by. This guide explores how 敷衍 is used in work, relationships, and daily life in China, contrasting it with simple carelessness (马虎) and explaining its cultural connection to saving face and maintaining harmony. With 10 practical examples, you'll master how to use 敷衍 to describe someone just “going through the motions.”
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): fūyǎn
Part of Speech: Verb, Adjective
HSK Level: HSK 5
Concise Definition: To be perfunctory, to do something half-heartedly, or to give a response just to get someone off your back.
In a Nutshell: Imagine you asked someone to do a task, and they did the absolute bare minimum, not because they made a mistake, but because they simply didn't care. Their work isn't necessarily wrong, but it completely lacks effort, thought, and sincerity. That feeling of being given a half-hearted, “just-to-get-it-done” effort is the core of 敷衍 (fūyǎn). It's the action of “phoning it in.”
Character Breakdown
敷 (fū): This character can mean “to apply” (like a lotion), “to spread,” or “to lay out.” Think of spreading something very thinly over a large surface.
衍 (yǎn): This character means “to spread out,” “to develop,” or “to elaborate.” It can imply something that overflows or is drawn out.
Together, 敷衍 (fūyǎn) paints a picture of spreading effort thinly or drawing out an action without any real substance or depth. It's all surface-level performance with no genuine commitment underneath, like a thin veneer of paint that barely covers what's beneath it.
Cultural Context and Significance
In Chinese culture, direct refusal can sometimes be seen as confrontational and can cause someone to lose “face” (面子 - miànzi). 敷衍 (fūyǎn) can, in some situations, be a social lubricant used to avoid saying a direct “no.” By giving a perfunctory agreement or performing a task half-heartedly, a person can fulfill a social obligation without fully committing their time or resources. This preserves harmony on the surface, even if the person receiving the 敷衍 action feels dismissed.
Comparison to Western Culture: In English, we have phrases like “phoning it in,” “mailing it in,” or “going through the motions.” These are excellent translations but often carry a primary connotation of personal laziness or apathy. While 敷衍 certainly includes this, it has an added social dimension. An employee might be 敷衍 with a task from their boss not just out of laziness, but as a subtle, non-confrontational way to show they disagree with the task's value while still technically obeying. It's a form of passive resistance that is less direct than a verbal complaint. It's less about “I'm too lazy to do this” and more about “I'm doing the bare minimum required to fulfill this obligation without causing a scene.”
Practical Usage in Modern China
In the Workplace: This is a very common context. A boss might criticize an employee: “你的报告太敷衍了!” (Nǐ de bàogào tài fūyǎn le! - Your report is too perfunctory!). It means the report meets the basic requirements but lacks analysis, detail, or care.
In Relationships: If a partner gives a short, dismissive answer to a serious question, the other might feel hurt, saying, “你别用一句话敷衍我” (Nǐ bié yòng yī jù huà fūyǎn wǒ - Don't use one sentence to fob me off). It implies a lack of emotional engagement. An apology can also be 敷衍, meaning it's said without any real remorse.
Customer Service: Describing a customer service representative who gives a scripted, unhelpful answer just to close the ticket is a classic example of 敷衍.
Formality: The term is generally informal to neutral but carries a negative connotation. You use it to describe or criticize someone else's behavior; you would rarely, if ever, proudly describe your own actions as 敷衍.
Example Sentences
Example 1:
他对工作的态度总是很敷衍，从不认真。
Pinyin: Tā duì gōngzuò de tàidù zǒngshì hěn fūyǎn, cóng bù rènzhēn.
English: His attitude towards work is always perfunctory; he's never conscientious.
Analysis: Here, 敷衍 is used as an adjective to describe his general attitude. It's a direct criticism of his work ethic.
Example 2:
老板让我写的报告，我随便写了几句敷衍了一下。
Pinyin: Lǎobǎn ràng wǒ xiě de bàogào, wǒ suíbiàn xiě le jǐ jù fūyǎn le yīxià.
English: For the report the boss asked me to write, I just casually wrote a few sentences to get it over with.
Analysis: This is a confession of being perfunctory. The structure “敷衍了一下” (fūyǎn le yīxià) softens the action slightly, meaning “to do something perfunctorily for a bit.”
Example 3:
别拿“我很忙”来敷衍我，我需要一个真正的答案。
Pinyin: Bié ná “wǒ hěn máng” lái fūyǎn wǒ, wǒ xūyào yī ge zhēnzhèng de dá'àn.
English: Don't use “I'm busy” to fob me off; I need a real answer.
Analysis: This shows how an excuse can be used to 敷衍 someone. The speaker is calling out the other person's lack of sincerity.
Example 4:
这家餐厅的服务太敷衍了，服务员根本不理我们。
Pinyin: Zhè jiā cāntīng de fúwù tài fūyǎn le, fúwùyuán gēnběn bù lǐ wǒmen.
English: The service at this restaurant is so perfunctory; the waiters completely ignore us.
Analysis: A common complaint in the service industry. It describes service that is technically available but performed without any care or attention.
Example 5:
他的道歉听起来很敷衍，我觉得他根本不后悔。
Pinyin: Tā de dàoqiàn tīngqǐlái hěn fūyǎn, wǒ juéde tā gēnběn bù hòuhuǐ.
English: His apology sounds very insincere; I don't think he's sorry at all.
Analysis: 敷衍 is perfect for describing insincere words or gestures, like a hollow apology.
Example 6:
作为老师，你不能这样敷衍学生的问题。
Pinyin: Zuòwéi lǎoshī, nǐ bùnéng zhèyàng fūyǎn xuéshēng de wèntí.
English: As a teacher, you can't just give perfunctory answers to students' questions like this.
Analysis: This highlights the sense of duty. A teacher has a responsibility not to be 敷衍 with their students.
English: This project is very important; we absolutely cannot just go through the motions and get it over with.
Analysis: This uses the four-character idiom (chengyu) 敷衍了事 (fūyǎnliǎoshì), which means “to handle a matter perfunctorily.” It's a very common and slightly more formal way to express the same idea.
Example 8:
我问他周末去哪了，他只是敷衍地说“没去哪儿”。
Pinyin: Wǒ wèn tā zhōumò qù nǎr le, tā zhǐshì fūyǎn de shuō “méi qù nǎr”.
English: I asked him where he went over the weekend, and he just perfunctorily said, “nowhere.”
Analysis: The “de” (地) particle can be used to turn 敷衍 into an adverb, describing *how* an action was done (in this case, how he spoke).
Example 9:
政府的声明被民众批评为敷衍塞责 (tángsè)。
Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ de shēngmíng bèi mínzhòng pīpíng wéi fūyǎn tángsè.
English: The government's statement was criticized by the public as perfunctory and evasive.
Analysis: Here, 敷衍 is part of a more complex idiom, 敷衍塞责 (fūyǎn sè zé), which means to perform one's duty perfunctorily and evade responsibility. 塞责 (sè zé) means “to block/shirk responsibility”.
English: Are you genuinely concerned about me, or are you just placating me?
Analysis: This powerful question contrasts genuine care (关心) with the insincere action of 敷衍, getting to the heart of the word's meaning in personal relationships.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
`敷衍 (fūyǎn)` vs. `马虎 (mǎhu)` (Careless):
A common mistake is to confuse these two. 马虎 means careless or sloppy, often leading to a mistake. For example, you miscalculated a number because you were 马虎. 敷衍 is about intention. You did the calculation correctly but didn't bother to double-check it or present it clearly because you didn't care. 敷衍 is a deliberate lack of effort, while 马虎 is a lack of attention to detail.
`敷衍 (fūyǎn)` vs. Lying `说谎 (shuōhuǎng)`:
敷衍 is not the same as lying. Lying is providing false information. 敷衍 is providing a response (which could be true or vague) without sincerity or effort just to end the conversation. If you ask a friend how their vacation was and they say “It was fine” while looking at their phone, that's 敷衍. If they say “I went to Paris” when they actually went to London, that's 说谎.
Incorrect Usage:
Wrong: ~~这道数学题太敷衍了。~~ (Zhè dào shùxué tí tài fūyǎn le.)
Why it's wrong: A math problem itself cannot be perfunctory. It can be difficult (难) or easy (简单). However, your *answer* to the problem can be 敷衍.
Correct: 我对这道数学题的解答很敷衍。(Wǒ duì zhè dào shùxué tí de jiědá hěn fūyǎn.) - My solution to this math problem was very perfunctory.
Related Terms and Concepts
* 敷衍了事 (fūyǎn liǎoshì) - The idiomatic (chengyu) form, meaning “to get a task over with perfunctorily.”
* 马虎 (mǎhu) - A close concept meaning “careless” or “sloppy,” but focused on accidental mistakes rather than intentional lack of effort.
* 应付 (yìngfu) - To cope with, to deal with. Often has a negative connotation similar to 敷衍, implying doing just enough to handle a situation or person.
* 走过场 (zǒu guòchǎng) - “To walk through the stage.” A vivid metaphor for doing something as a mere formality, almost identical in meaning to 敷衍.
* 搪塞 (tángsè) - To put someone off with excuses, to stonewall. This is a specific way of being 敷衍, with a stronger focus on evasion.
* 随便 (suíbiàn) - Casual, as one pleases. A casual or random answer (`随便回答`) can often be a perfunctory one (`敷衍的回答`).
* 认真 (rènzhēn) - The direct antonym: serious, conscientious, earnest.
* 虚伪 (xūwěi) - Hypocritical, phony. Describes a person's character, whereas 敷衍 describes a specific action or attitude. A 虚伪 person often acts in a 敷衍 manner.
* 面子 (miànzi) - “Face” or social standing. The desire to give or save face is often a cultural reason behind a 敷衍 action.