虚伪

• Pinyin: xū wěi
• Hanzi breakdown: 虚 = 虍 + 业 (hollow); 伪 = 人 + 为 (human action without genuine intent — fake)

Meaning

Hypocritical; insincere; two-faced. Pretending to have virtues, feelings, or beliefs one does not actually possess.

A moral criticism implying deliberate pretence or double standards. Used in interpersonal, political, and literary contexts. Stronger than 不真诚 and carries clear negative connotation. Often contrasted with 真诚 (sincere).

Examples

1. 他在公众面前标榜廉洁，私下却大肆受贿，虚伪至极。 He bragged about being incorruptible in public, but privately took bribes on a massive scale—utterly hypocritical.
2. 她厌倦了那种表面友好、背后算计的虚伪关系，决心只与真诚的人交往。 She was tired of those hypocritical relationships that looked friendly on the surface but were full of scheming behind the scenes, and decided to associate only with sincere people.
3. 这篇小说深刻揭示了上流社会虚伪的道德外衣背后隐藏的腐败与丑陋。 This novel powerfully exposes the hypocrisy of high society, revealing the corruption and ugliness hidden beneath its moral facade.

Usage Guide

Context: interpersonal, politics, literature, social criticism

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 他所表现出来的关怀不过是一种虚伪的表演，目的只是在同事面前维护自己的形象。(The concern he displayed was nothing but hypocritical performance, aimed solely at maintaining his image in front of colleagues.)
• 真正的友谊建立在坦诚的基础之上，任何虚伪的成分都会在时间的考验下逐渐显露。(Genuine friendship is built on honesty; any element of insincerity will gradually be revealed with the test of time.)

Don't Say

• 虚伪的错误 — 虚伪 is a moral judgement about deliberate pretence; for honest mistakes use 错误 or 失误; do not conflate moral failing with factual error

Origin & History

虚 (empty/false) + 伪 (fake/deceitful) — falseness combined with deception

Cultural Context

Era: Classical to Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal