月亮底下打灯笼，空挂明月亮底下打燈籠，空掛明月亮底下打燈籠，空掛明

carrying a lantern under the moon: it hangs bright for nothing

Saying俗语俗語

Two-part saying歇后语歇後語 · Rarely used now

Meaning: Describes having a name or reputation with nothing behind it. Mocking.
Wordplay: 明 (míng, bright) puns on 名 (míng, name), and 空 means both empty sky and in vain.

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Simplified: 月亮底下打灯笼，空挂明
Traditional (Taiwan): 月亮底下打燈籠，空掛明
Pinyin: yuèliang dǐxia dǎdēnglóng, kōng guà míng
Bopomofo: ㄩㄝˋ ˙ㄌㄧㄤㄉㄧˇ ˙ㄒㄧㄚㄉㄚˇ ㄉㄥㄌㄨㄥˊ，ㄎㄨㄥㄍㄨㄚˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ

Written with HSK 4 vocabulary, at CEFR level B1.

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