忠言逆耳利于行

忠言逆耳利於行

zhōngyánnì'ěrlìyúxíng

idiom

Meanings

1 honest advice grates on the ear but benefits one's conduct
2 frank criticism is hard to hear but good for action
3 truthful counsel is bitter but useful

Characters

conduct / action

Examples

领导要懂得忠言逆耳利于行，听得进批评。

Lǐngdǎo yào dǒngde zhōngyán nì'ěr lì yú xíng, tīng de jìn pīpíng.

Leaders must understand that honest advice grates on the ear but aids action — they must be able to hear criticism.

朋友说话直接，但忠言逆耳利于行，我很感激。

Péngyǒu shuōhuà zhíjiē, dàn zhōngyán nì'ěr lì yú xíng, wǒ hěn gǎnjī.

My friend speaks bluntly, but frank advice benefits conduct — I'm grateful.

Tips

history

From 《史记·留侯世家》: 忠言逆耳利于行，毒药苦口利于病 — 'Loyal advice grates on the ear but benefits conduct; bitter medicine offends the mouth but cures disease.' Zhang Liang (张良) used this line to persuade Liu Bang to leave the Qin palace and restrain his troops. The earlier 《韩非子·外储说左上》 has a closely related formulation.

usage

Often cited as the paired proverb 良药苦口利于病，忠言逆耳利于行. The shorter 忠言逆耳 (plain chengyu form) is equally common. Formal and admonitory.

Stroke Order

忠 zhōng

言 yán

逆 nì

耳 ěr

利 lì

于 yú

行 xíng