朝三暮四

• 拼音: zhāo sān mù sì
• 汉字拆解: 朝 = morning; 三 = three; 暮 = evening; 四 = four — changing between morning and evening

含义

Fickle; capricious; constantly changing one's mind. Literally: three in the morning, four in the evening.

From a story about a monkey trainer who offered monkeys 3 chestnuts morning and 4 evening vs 4 morning and 3 evening. Now means being indecisive or unfaithful, especially in relationships. Strongly negative connotation.

例句

1. 他朝三暮四，交往过的女朋友数都数不清。
2. 做事不能朝三暮四，要有始有终才能成功。
3. 投资者最忌朝三暮四，频繁更换投资策略。

用法指南

语境: criticism, relationships, decision-making

语气: negative

正确说法

• 朝三暮四的人很难获得他人的信任和尊重。(People who are fickle find it hard to earn the trust and respect of others.)
• 选择职业不能朝三暮四，要根据自身特长做出稳定规划。(You can't be capricious when choosing a career; make stable plans based on your strengths.)

错误说法

• 朝三暮四地学习 — for inconsistent studying use 三心二意; 朝三暮四 emphasizes changing loyalties

起源与历史

From 《庄子·齐物论》, a parable about a monkey trainer

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal