听其言而观其行

聽其言而觀其行

tīng qí yán ér guān qí xíng

quotation

Meanings

1 listen to what they say and watch what they do
2 (fig.) judge people by matching their words against their actions, not by words alone
3 (lit.) listen (to) their words and observe their conduct

Characters

Examples

HSK 6

看人不能只听他说什么，要听其言而观其行。

Kàn rén bùnéng zhǐ tīng tā shuō shénme, yào tīng qí yán ér guān qí xíng.

You can't judge people only by what they say - you have to 'listen to their words and watch their deeds.'

HSK 6

招聘新员工时，我们坚持听其言而观其行的原则。

Zhāopìn xīn yuángōng shí, wǒmen jiānchí tīng qí yán ér guān qí xíng de yuánzé.

In hiring new employees, we stick to the principle of 'listen to their words and watch their actions.'

Tips

history

From 《论语·公冶长》 (Analects, Gongye Chang, Confucius, c. 500 BCE). The backstory: Confucius first said 听其言而信其行 ('I used to listen to what people said and trust their actions'). But after catching his student Zai Yu napping during the day despite fine speeches, he changed his rule to 听其言而观其行 ('Now I listen to what they say AND watch what they do'). The proverb embodies Confucius's shift to empirical judgment.

usage

A canonical maxim in Chinese HR, politics, and parenting. 而 is a classical connective ('and also'); 其 = 'their / his.' Often shortened to 听其言，观其行 in speech.

Stroke Order

听 tīng

其 qí

言 yán

而 ér

观 guān

行 xíng