Lingaku- lit. to sing "The Empty City Stratagem" (idiom)
- fig. to put up a bluff to conceal one's weakness
- (jocular) (of a place etc) to be empty; (of one's stomach) to be rumbling
Generated definitions (experimental)
- to put up a bluff to conceal one's weakness
- (jocular) to be empty
This expression is used when someone pretends to be strong or confident, while in reality, they are vulnerable or lacking in some way.
tā他zài在tuán duì团队Zhōng中chàng kōng chéng jì唱空城计，shí jì shàng实际上què却bù不zhī dào知道rú hé如何jiě jué解决zhè ge这个wèn tí问题。
He put up a bluff in the team, but in reality, he didn't know how to solve the problem.
This meaning is often used in a lighthearted or humorous context, referring to a place being devoid of people or, metaphorically, a feeling of emptiness.
The mall is empty this weekend; everyone has gone on vacation.
Generated collocations (experimental)
chàng kōng chéng jì唱空城计to put up a bluff to conceal one's weaknessgēi假chàng kōng chéng jì唱空城计to feign strength while being weakkōng chéng jì空城计the Empty City Stratagemchàng kōng chéng jì唱空城计de的bǎ xì把戏the trick of bluffingzài在kōng空chéng城chàng kōng chéng jì唱空城计to bluff in an empty situationkōng空chéng城jì cè计策lüè略the strategy of the Empty City Stratagemcháng shì尝试chàng kōng chéng jì唱空城计to try to bluffchàng kōng chéng jì唱空城计de的jī huì机会the opportunity to put up a bluffyòng用kōng空chéng城Jì计to use a bluffkōng空chéng城Zhōng中chàng kōng chéng jì唱空城计to bluff in an empty citykōng chéng jì空城计de的jīng diǎn àn lì经典案例a classic example of bluffinglín wēi临危chàng kōng chéng jì唱空城计to bluff in a critical situation