言行不一

yánxíngbùyī

idiom

Meanings

1 words and actions don't match
2 to say one thing and do another
3 inconsistent

Characters

Examples

领导言行不一，很难获得信任。

Lǐngdǎo yánxíngbùyī, hěn nán huòdé xìnrèn.

A leader who doesn't match words with actions can't win trust.

他答应戒烟，结果言行不一。

Tā dāyìng jièyān, jiéguǒ yánxíngbùyī.

He promised to quit smoking but his words and actions don't line up.

Tips

usage

Antonym: 言行一致 (yán xíng yī zhì, 'words match deeds'). Used as a moral criticism — more pointed than simply calling someone inconsistent.

Stroke Order

言 yán

行 xíng

不 bù

一 yī