tough outside, soft inside; faint-hearted person acting brave
Describes a person who appears strong or brave outwardly but is actually gentle or timid. Often used to characterize someone who puts on a brave front.
He is tough on the outside but soft at heart; he acts tough but is actually kind.
The more a person is faint-hearted pretending to be brave, the more they try to hide their inner weakness.
The opposite: appearing gentle outwardly but being strong-willed inside.
A verb meaning 'to pretend to be tough/brave'; 外剛内柔 describes the character trait itself.
A yojijukugo composed of 外 (outside), 剛 (strong), 内 (inside), 柔 (soft). The exact origin is uncertain, but it follows a common Chinese-derived four-character pattern contrasting outward appearance with inner nature.