出尔反尔

出爾反爾

chū'ěrfǎn'ěr

idiom #30,883

Meanings

1 to go back on one's word (idiom)
2 to contradict oneself; to blow hot and cold

Characters

to go out; issue

you (classical)

to reverse; return

you (classical)

Examples

他说话出尔反尔，谁也不再信任他了。

Tā shuōhuà chū'ěrfǎn'ěr, shéi yě bù zài xìnrèn tā le.

He keeps going back on his word — nobody trusts him anymore.

签了合同就不能出尔反尔。

Qiān le hétong jiù bùnéng chū'ěrfǎn'ěr.

Once you've signed the contract, you can't back out.

Tips

history

From 《孟子·梁惠王下》: '出乎尔者，反乎尔者也' — 'What issues from you returns to you.' Originally Mencius's warning about reciprocity (treat people badly and it comes back). Modern sense shifted to 'being inconsistent with one's own words.'

Stroke Order

出 chū

尔 ěr

反 fǎn