走过场

• Pinyin: zǒu guò chǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 走 = 走 (walk); 过 = 辶 + 寸 (pass through); 场 = 土 + 昜 (stage/field)

Meaning

To go through the motions; to make a show of doing something without genuine effort. Performing a process superficially for the sake of appearances rather than substance.

Derived from theatrical imagery — an actor merely walking across the stage without a real role. Criticises hollow formalism in procedures, inspections, meetings, or evaluations that are done only to fulfil a formal requirement.

Examples

1. 如果安全检查只是走过场，一旦发生事故将追悔莫及。 If safety inspections are just going through the motions, you'll regret it when an accident happens.
2. 这次公众意见征集被批评人士斥为走过场，因为结果早已内定。 This round of public feedback was criticized as just going through the motions, since the outcome had already been decided.
3. 真正的改革不能走过场，必须落到实处，才能赢得民心。 Real reform can't be just for show; it has to be implemented in concrete terms to win public support.

Usage Guide

Context: governance, business, criticism, culture

Tone: critical

Do Say

• 年度绩效考核不应走过场，否则考核制度将彻底失去公信力。(Annual performance reviews should not be merely going through the motions; otherwise the appraisal system will completely lose its credibility.)
• 此次专项整治行动绝不能走过场，各级部门必须切实履行监管职责。(This special rectification campaign must not be a formality — departments at all levels must genuinely fulfil their supervisory responsibilities.)

Don't Say

• 走过场的美食 — 走过场 describes procedural superficiality, not the quality of food; use 敷衍 or 草率 for careless execution in other domains

Origin & History

Theatrical metaphor: 走 (walk) + 过 (through) + 场 (stage) — walking through a stage without a real part

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal