ho kua bo ho jiak

idiom

Meaning

Superficial; incompetent or having no substance despite appearances, skin-deep; portraying oneself as greater than one actually is; all style and no substance.

Origin

disputed origin

From Hokkien 好看無好食 /好看无好食 (hó-khòaⁿ bô hó-chia̍h, literally “good to look at, not good to eat”).

Examples

SIMPLE

That flashy new manager is all ho kua bo ho jiak.

CONTEXTUAL

He talks a big game about his business, but his plans are ho kua bo ho jiak.

COMPLEX

Despite the polished presentation and expensive suit, the candidate proved to be entirely ho kua bo ho jiak when asked about his actual experience.

Anchors to

Last updated April 17, 2026