Definition
幌子 has two related meanings. Its literal sense is a 'shop sign' or 'signboard' hung outside a store. But in modern usage, it's much more common in the figurative sense of a 'front' or 'pretense' — something that appears legitimate but actually conceals a different purpose. You'll often see it in political or business contexts where someone uses one thing as a cover for something else.
n.
shop signsignboardfrontpretensecover
Examples
- 幌子。Nà jiā lǎo diàn mén qián de huǎng zi yǐjīng guà le jǐ shí nián le.That old shop's sign has been hanging for decades.
- 幌子，。Tāmen yǐ císhàn wéi huǎng zi, shíjì shàng shì zài piàn qián.They use charity as a front, but actually they're scamming money.
- 幌子，。Zhè jiā gōngsī dǎ zhe huánbǎo de huǎng zi, què zài pòhuài huánjìng.This company uses environmental protection as a cover while actually destroying the environment.
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