两面三刀

兩面三刀

liǎngmiànsāndāo

idiom

Meanings

1 two-faced and three-knived
2 double-dealing
3 to stab in the back while smiling

Characters

Examples

这种两面三刀的人不值得交往。

Zhè zhǒng liǎng miàn sān dāo de rén bù zhíde jiāowǎng.

People this two-faced aren't worth befriending.

他当面一套，背后一套，真是两面三刀。

Tā dāngmiàn yī tào, bèihòu yī tào, zhēn shì liǎng miàn sān dāo.

One way to your face, another behind your back — he's a total backstabber.

团队里容不下两面三刀的人。

Tuánduì lǐ róng bù xià liǎng miàn sān dāo de rén.

A team has no room for two-faced backstabbers.

Tips

history

First recorded in 元·李行道《灰阑记》: a Yuan-dynasty play in which the phrase describes a scheming wife plotting against her husband. The imagery is of showing two faces while hiding three knives.

Stroke Order

两 liǎng

面 miàn

三 sān

刀 dāo