Chinese

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to appear; to look; form
to appear; to look; form; shape
 
left
real; true; honest
real; true; honest; really; solid
 
right (-hand)
trad. (形左實右)
simp. (形左实右)

Etymology

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From Bombard the Headquarters, a big-character poster written by Mao Zedong shortly after the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in 1966.

聯繫一九六二右傾一九六四錯誤傾向豈不是可以發人深醒 [MSC, trad.]
联系一九六二右倾一九六四错误倾向岂不是可以发人深醒 [MSC, simp.]
From: 1966, Mao Zedong, Bombard The Headquarters – My Big-Character Poster
Liánxì dào yījiǔliù'èr nián de yòuqīng hé yījiǔliùsì nián xíng “zuǒ” ér shí yòu de cuòwù qīngxiàng, qǐ bùshì kěyǐ fārénshēnxǐng de ma? [Pinyin]
Viewed in connection with the Right deviation in 1962 and the wrong tendency of 1964 which was ‘Left’ in form but Right in essence, shouldn’t this make one wide awake?

(Note: some editions did not have the "而".)

Pronunciation

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Idiom

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形左實右

  1. (politics) left in form but right in essence