出尔反尔
- Literal
- what comes out of you comes back to you
- Figurative
- To go back on your word: to say one thing today and the opposite tomorrow, until nobody can rely on what you promise.
Where does 出尔反尔 come from?
Duke Mu of Zou complained to Mencius: in a clash with Lu, thirty-three of his officers had died and not one of his subjects had given his life to save them. Mencius answered that in the famine years the common people had starved while the granaries stayed full and the officials said nothing: the subjects had merely given back what they got. Then he quoted Zengzi: "Beware: what comes out of you comes back to you." The phrase thus began as a warning that you reap what you sow; over time it shifted to mean contradicting yourself and breaking your word, which is how it is used today.
Source (出处): 《孟子》
How is 出尔反尔 used? Two examples
- 合同都签了又想改条件，这样出尔反尔谁还敢跟你合作。
You sign the contract and then want to change the terms; if you keep going back on your word, who's going to risk working with you?
- 说好一起去的，你现在又不去了，太出尔反尔了吧。
We agreed to go together and now you're not going — talk about going back on your word.
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