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

他对这首诗倒背如流。

Tā duì zhè shǒu shī dàobèirúliú.

He knows this poem cold, backwards and forwards.

公司的规章制度，他倒背如流。

Gōngsī de guīzhāng zhìdù, tā dàobèirúliú.

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