言之无物 empty words
Explanation
指说话或写文章空洞无物，没有实际内容。
Refers to speaking or writing that is empty and without substance.
Origin Story
话说唐朝时期，有个名叫李白的诗人，才华横溢，诗作无数。一日，皇帝召见，要他赋诗一首。李白欣然前往，却发现自己竟无诗兴。他绞尽脑汁，却只写出一些空洞无物的句子，词不达意，毫无新意。皇帝看后，不禁失望地摇摇头。此事传开后，人们便用“言之无物”来形容那些空洞无物的言辞。这个故事告诉我们，言辞必须有内涵，才能打动人心。
It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, there was a poet named Li Bai, who was talented and had countless poems. One day, the emperor summoned him to compose a poem. Li Bai readily went, but found himself without poetic inspiration. He racked his brains, but only wrote some empty sentences, the words failing to express his meaning, and without any originality. The emperor, after reading it, shook his head in disappointment. After this incident spread, people used “yan zhi wu wu” to describe empty words. This story tells us that words must have substance in order to move people's hearts.
Usage
用于形容说话或写作空洞无物，缺乏实际内容。
Used to describe speech or writing that is empty and lacks substance.
Examples
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他的发言言之无物，令人失望。
tā de fāyán yán zhī wú wù, lìng rén shīwàng
His speech was empty and disappointing.
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这篇论文言之无物，缺乏论据。
zhè piān lùnwén yán zhī wú wù, quēfá lùnjù
This paper is empty and lacks evidence.
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会议上，他那番言之无物的讲话，让大家感到非常失望。
huìyì shàng, tā nà fān yán zhī wú wù de jiǎnghuà, ràng dàjiā gǎndào fēicháng shīwàng
His empty speech at the meeting greatly disappointed everyone.