Idiom: 朝三暮四 (zhāo sān mù sì)
Literal Meaning: “Three in the morning and four in the evening.”
Explanation: 朝三暮四 (zhāo sān mù sì) means to be inconsistent or change one’s mind frequently; to be fickle.
Chinese Idiom Stories
In ancient China, a man kept several monkeys and would feed them chestnuts. One day, he realized his chestnut supply was running low and decided to ration their food.
He told the monkeys, “From now on, you’ll get three chestnuts in the morning and four in the evening.” The monkeys were upset and protested loudly.
The man quickly changed his words: “How about four chestnuts in the morning and three in the evening?” The monkeys, not realizing the total was the same, happily agreed.
This story illustrates how people can be easily manipulated by superficial changes, and it also refers to inconsistency or frequent changes in decisions.
Idiom Example Sentences
- 他總是朝三暮四，今天說要去旅行，明天又說不去了。
- If we keep fighting, we might end up like the sandpiper and the clam, benefiting a third party.
- Rúguǒ wǒmen jìxù zhēng xiàqù, kǒngpà huì xiàng yù bàng xiāng zhēng, biànyíle dì sān fāng.
- 做決定時不要朝三暮四，這樣會讓人難以信任你。
- Don’t be fickle when making decisions; it will make people lose trust in you.
- Zuò juédìng shí bùyào zhāo sān mù sì, zhèyàng huì ràng rén nányǐ xìnrèn nǐ.
Practice Exercise
- What change did the man make to appease the monkeys?
- How does the story of 朝三暮四 relate to inconsistency in decision-making?
- Write a sentence using 朝三暮四 to describe someone who frequently changes their preferences or plans.
Multiple Choice Questions
What behavior best represents 朝三暮四?
A) Consistently following a schedule.
B) Frequently changing plans without a clear reason.
C) Resolving conflicts with logical arguments.
D) Sticking to a long-term commitment.
(Answer: B)
