忽冷忽热

忽冷忽熱
hūlěng-hūrè
idiom

Meanings

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

Examples

HSK 3
Zuìjìn tiānqì hūlěng-hūrè, róngyì gǎnmào.
The weather has been swinging between cold and hot lately - it's easy to catch a cold.
HSK 5
Tā duì wǒ hūlěng-hūrè, ràngwǒ gǎo bù dǒng.
He's hot and cold with me - I can't figure him out.
HSK 7-9
Zhèzhǒng hūlěng-hūrè de tàidù ràng yuángōng hěn kùnhuò.
This on-again, off-again attitude leaves the staff confused.

Tips

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

lěng