Two-faced
Meaning: A person who acts differently behind your back than to your face — saying one thing to you and another to others.
Being 'two-faced' is one of the most serious social accusations in American culture. A two-faced person is friendly to your face but talks behind your back, or agrees with you in person but opposes you to others. It implies deliberate deception and betrayal of trust. Americans value directness, so being two-faced violates a core social norm.
Examples
- I can't trust her — she's totally two-faced. 我没法信任她——她完全是两面三刀。No me fío de ella — es totalmente falsa.あの子は信用できない——完全に裏表がある。그녀는 믿을 수가 없어 — 완전 이중적이야.
- He was nice to my face but told everyone else I was incompetent. So two-faced. 他当面对我很好,转头却跟所有人说我不行。真是两面派。Era amable conmigo a la cara, pero le decía a todo el mundo que yo era un incompetente. Menudo hipócrita.彼は面と向かっては優しかったのに、他のみんなには私が無能だと言っていた。本当に裏表のある人間だ。그 사람은 내 앞에서는 친절했는데 다른 사람들에게는 내가 무능하다고 했어. 정말 이중적이지.
- She's the most two-faced person I know. She'll smile at you and then stab you in the back. 她是我认识的最两面三刀的人。对你笑脸相迎,转身就在背后捅刀子。Es la persona más falsa que conozco. Te sonríe a la cara y luego te clava el puñal por la espalda.彼女は私の知る中で一番裏表のある人間だ。あなたに微笑みながら、裏で足を引っ張るタイプ。그녀는 내가 아는 사람 중 가장 이중적이야. 당신에게 웃으면서 뒤에서 칼을 꽂는 타입이야.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: trust, betrayal, gossip, workplace
Tone: accusatory, bitter
✓ Do Say
- She's so two-faced.她太两面派了。Es una falsa total.あの子は本当に裏表がある。그녀는 정말 이중적이야.
- Don't be two-faced.别当两面人。No seas hipócrita.裏表のある人間になるな。이중적으로 굴지 마.
✗ Don't Say
- A serious accusation — be sure of the facts before calling someone two-faced, as it can permanently damage a relationship这是一个很严重的指控——在说别人两面三刀之前要确认事实,因为这可能永久损害一段关系Es una acusación grave — asegúrate de los hechos antes de llamar a alguien de dos caras, ya que puede dañar permanentemente una relación深刻な非難の言葉——誰かをtwo-facedと呼ぶ前に事実を確認すべき。人間関係を永久に壊す可能性がある심각한 비난이므로 사실을 확인한 후에 사용해야 한다 — 누군가를 이중적이라고 부르면 관계를 영구적으로 손상시킬 수 있다
Origin & History
The imagery of having two faces (one shown, one hidden) dates back to ancient Rome (the god Janus had two faces). The phrase has been used in English for centuries but remains extremely common in American casual speech for describing duplicitous people.
Cultural Context
Era: Centuries old, still common
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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