B1 Idiom Formal

敷衍了事

fuyan liaoshi

Perfunctory

Phrase in 30 Seconds

To perform a task with minimal effort, lacking sincerity or care.

  • Means: Doing something just to get it over with, without real effort.
  • Used in: Workplace complaints, academic feedback, or describing lazy behavior.
  • Don't confuse: It is not the same as 'failing' (which implies lack of ability).
Clock watching + messy desk = 敷衍了事

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means doing work without care. You use it when someone is lazy.
When you do a job but you don't really want to, you are doing it in a way that is not good. We call this 敷衍了事.
This idiom describes the act of performing a task with minimal effort or enthusiasm. It is often used in professional or academic contexts to criticize someone who is not taking their responsibilities seriously.
The phrase denotes a perfunctory approach to tasks, where the individual prioritizes the completion of the action over the quality or integrity of the result. It is a strong critique of one's professional ethics.
Syntactically, this is a verb-object construction that has fossilized into an idiom. It encapsulates the cognitive state of 'avoidance-via-completion,' where the subject intentionally bypasses the necessary rigor required for a task, reflecting a lack of commitment to the outcome.
From a sociolinguistic perspective, this idiom serves as a moral marker in Chinese discourse. It functions as an evaluative tool to categorize behavior that violates the social expectation of 'diligence' ({勤奋|qínfèn}). Its usage implies a breach of trust between the actor and the observer, highlighting the importance of sincerity in interpersonal and professional interactions.

Meaning

To do things carelessly or without enthusiasm.

🌍

Cultural Background

Highly frowned upon in corporate culture.

💡

Context matters

Don't use this with your boss unless you are very sure of your ground.

Meaning

To do things carelessly or without enthusiasm.

💡

Context matters

Don't use this with your boss unless you are very sure of your ground.

Test Yourself

Fill in the blank.

他对待工作总是______，结果被开除了。

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 敷衍了事

The context implies a negative result due to poor attitude.

🎉 Score: /1

Frequently Asked Questions

1 questions

Yes, if you did a bad job.

Related Phrases

🔄

马虎

synonym

Careless

Where to Use It

💼

Office Feedback

Boss: 你的报告太{敷衍了事|fūyǎnliǎoshì}了，重写。

formal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Fu' (the sound of blowing) - blowing away your responsibilities.

Visual Association

A student quickly scribbling nonsense on a paper just to leave the classroom early.

Story

Xiao Wang was tired. He had to clean the room. He just pushed the dust under the rug. His boss saw this and said, 'You are just 敷衍了事!'

Word Web

马虎认真态度工作责任敷衍

Challenge

Write a 3-sentence complaint about a service you received using this phrase.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Hacer las cosas a medias

The Spanish phrase is more common in daily speech.

French high

Bâcler le travail

Bâcler specifically means to botch, while 敷衍 implies an attitude.

German moderate

Schlampige Arbeit

Chinese focuses on the intent of the person.

Japanese high

いい加減にする

Japanese is more idiomatic in daily life.

Arabic moderate

عمل أي كلام

Arabic is much more informal.

Chinese self

敷衍了事

N/A

Korean high

대충대충 하다

Korean is more onomatopoeic.

Portuguese high

Fazer de qualquer jeito

Portuguese is very conversational.

Easily Confused

敷衍了事 vs 敷衍塞责

Both mean to do a bad job.

敷衍塞责 is specifically about duty.

FAQ (1)

Yes, if you did a bad job.

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