倒背如流

dàobèi-rúliú

idiom

Meanings

1 to know by heart
2 to recite fluently even backwards

Characters

reversed, backwards

recite from memory

flowing (water)

Examples

HSK 4

他对这首诗倒背如流。

Tā duì zhè shǒu shī dàobèi-rúliú.

He knows this poem cold, backwards and forwards.

HSK 7-9

公司的规章制度，他倒背如流。

Gōngsī de guīzhāng zhìdù, tā dàobèi-rúliú.

He knows the company's rules by heart.

Tips

memory

Literally 'to recite backwards like flowing water.' 倒 here = 'reversed,' so fluency that survives even reversing the order.

Stroke Order

倒 dǎo

背 bēi

如 rú

流 liú