改頭換面

改头换面
gǎitóuhuànmiàn
  1. to change outwardly while remaining essentially the same (derog.) (idiom)
  2. (Tw) (non-derogatory) to change considerably
  3. to undergo a transformation

CEDICT

derogatory taiwan

Entry Composition

1 改 gǎi
  1. to change
  2. to alter
  3. to transform
  4. to correct
=2 頭 tóu
  1. head
  2. hair style
  3. the top
  4. end
  5. beginning or end
  6. a stub
  7. remnant
  8. chief
  9. boss
  10. side
  11. aspect
  12. first
  13. leading
  14. classifier for pigs or livestock

classifier: 個
=2 頭 tou suffix for nouns
3 換 huàn
  1. to exchange
  2. to change (clothes etc)
  3. to substitute
  4. to switch
  5. to convert (currency)
=4 面 miàn
  1. face
  2. side
  3. surface
  4. aspect
  5. top
  6. classifier for objects with flat surfaces such as drums, mirrors, flags etc
=4 面 miàn variant of 麵 miàn
=4 面 miàn
  1. flour
  2. noodles
  3. (of food) soft (not crunchy)
  4. (slang) (of a person) ineffectual
  5. spineless