忽冷忽热

忽冷忽熱

hūlěng-hūrè

idiom

Meanings

1 suddenly cold, suddenly hot
2 hot and cold by turns; mercurial
3 (of moods or treatment) inconsistent and unpredictable

Characters

Examples

最近天气忽冷忽热，容易感冒。

Zuìjìn tiānqì hūlěnghūrè, róngyì gǎnmào.

The weather has been swinging between cold and hot lately — it's easy to catch a cold.

他对我忽冷忽热，让我搞不懂。

Tā duì wǒ hūlěnghūrè, ràngwǒ gǎo bù dǒng.

He's hot and cold with me — I can't figure him out.

这种忽冷忽热的态度让员工很困惑。

Zhèzhǒng hūlěnghūrè de tàidù ràng yuángōng hěn kùnhuò.

This on-again, off-again attitude leaves the staff confused.

Tips

usage

Two uses: (1) literal — temperature/weather shifting abruptly; (2) figurative — someone whose moods, affection, or commitment swing unpredictably. In romantic contexts it's a frequent complaint about inconsistent partners.

grammar

忽A忽B is a productive pattern meaning "now A, now B": 忽明忽暗 (now bright, now dark), 忽高忽低 (up and down), 忽快忽慢 (alternately fast and slow).

Stroke Order

忽 hū

冷 lěng

热 rè