敷衍了事

Traditional form:

敷衍了事

Pinyin (reading):

fūyǎnliǎoshì

Definitions:

• (idiom) to do things half-heartedly; to merely go through the motions

Characters:

• 敷 - to apply, to paint, to spread
• 衍 - to overflow; to spread out
• 了 - clear; to finish; particle of completed action
• 事 - affair, matter, business; to serve; accident, incident

Traditional characters:

• 敷 - to apply, to paint, to spread
• 衍 - to overflow; to spread out
• 了 - clear; to finish; particle of completed action
• 事 - affair, matter, business; to serve; accident, incident