信誓旦旦

xìnshì-dàndàn
idiom #30,385

Meanings

  1. 1 to vow solemnly (idiom)
  2. 2 to make earnest promises
  3. 3 to swear with complete sincerity

Examples

HSK 4
Tā xìnshì-dàndàn de bǎozhèng yīdìng ànshí wánchéng.
He solemnly vowed to finish on time.
HSK 5
Dāngchū tā xìnshì-dàndàn, rújīn què fānliǎn bù rèn.
He swore earnestly at the time, but now he won't own it.
HSK 7-9
Hòuxuǎnrén xìnshì-dàndàn de chéngnuò gǎigé.
The candidate vowed reform with utmost sincerity.

Tips

history
From 《诗经·卫风·》: 言笑晏晏, 信誓旦旦 - a betrayed woman remembers her ex-lover's warm smiles and solemn vows. The idiom already carried a tinge of irony in its source text: the vows were sincere and still got broken.
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Often faintly ironic in modern use - when you say someone 信誓旦旦ed, there's a good chance you're about to point out they didn't follow through. Use carefully when the commitment was actually kept.

Stroke Order

xìn
shì
dàn