成语故事：滥竽充数 Be There Just To Make Up The Number

成语故事：滥竽充数 Be There Just To Make Up The Number

滥竽充数

làn yú chōng shù

Be There Just To Make Up The Number

滥 means broken or very bad. 竽 is the musical instrument. 充 means to make up or fill up. 数 is the number. All together, the idiom means pass oneself off as one of the yu players in an ensemble, or simply, be there just to make up the number. Now it is used to mock someone who holds an office or a position without having the requisite skill. Sometimes it's used to talk about inferior goods being included in a batch to make up the number of weight. You can also hear people saying it about themselves to show their modesty.

Literal meaning:pretend to play the Yu (a wind instrument) in order to make up the number for an orchestra

Explanation: to be included in a group just to fill in a vacancy; fill a post without real qualifications;

E.g

她是个滥竽充数的演员。

Tā shì gè làn yú chōng shù de yǎn yuán。

She is a sorry apology for an actor.