失信

shīxìn

verb #36,042

Meanings

1 to break a promise
2 to fail to keep one's word
3 to lose credibility

Characters

trust, credibility

Examples

他从来不会失信于朋友。

Tā cónglái bú huì shīxìn yú péngyǒu.

He would never break his word to a friend.

公司一旦失信，就很难恢复名誉。

Gōngsī yídàn shīxìn, jiù hěn nán huīfù míngyù.

Once a company loses credibility, it is hard to recover its reputation.

Tips

culture

China maintains an official 失信被执行人名单 ('list of dishonest persons subject to enforcement') — a public registry of people who default on court judgments. Being put on this list (失信黑名单) carries real consequences: bans on flights, high-speed rail, and luxury spending.

Stroke Order

失 shī

信 xìn