金玉其外,败絮其中 jīn yù qí wài , bài xù qí zhōng

DEFINITIONS

  1. gilded exterior, shabby and ruined on the inside (idiom)

CHARACTERS

金 jīn gold; metals in general; money
玉 yù jade, precious stone, gem
其 qí his, her, its, their; that
外 wài out, outside, external; foreign
败 bài be defeated, decline, fail
絮 xù waste cotton, raw silk or cotton
其 qí his, her, its, their; that
中 zhōng central; center, middle; in the midst of; hit (target); attain