幌子

huǎngzi
  1. shop sign
  2. signboard
  3. (fig.) pretense

CEDICT

  1. (figurative) pretense; excuse
  2. (specifically, literary) shop sign for a liquor-selling establishment
  3. pretense; excuse
  4. shop sign
  5. shop sign for a liquor-selling establishment

Wiktionary

  1. 掛在店鋪門外，用來招徠顧客的招牌。
  2. 表現在外用以蒙蔽他人的言行。

重編國語辭典

Entry Composition

1 幌 huǎng
  1. shop sign
  2. (literary) window curtain
2 子 zi noun suffix, as in 椅子 yǐzi "chair"

Related entries

幌 huǎng
  1. shop sign
  2. (literary) window curtain
招牌 zhāopai
  1. signboard
  2. shop sign
  3. reputation of a business
只要換上不同招牌，就能成為各種商店。

Only if you put up a different sign can you become a miscellany store.

Source: Tatoeba

告示牌 gàoshìpái
  1. notice
  2. placard
  3. signboard
告示牌上寫著「出口」。

The sign says "Exit."

Source: Tatoeba

偽裝 wěizhuāng
  1. to pretend to be (asleep etc)
  2. to disguise oneself as
  3. pretense
  4. disguise
  5. (military) to camouflage
  6. camouflage
已经不需要再伪装了。

There's no need to pretend anymore.

Source: Tatoeba