朝三暮四

Pronunciation: zhāo sān mù sì Literal meaning: Three in the morning, four at night

Origin & Usage

This idiom, 朝三暮四 (zhāo sān mù sì), originates from the classical text 'Zhuangzi' (庄子), specifically from the chapter 'Qi Wu Lun' (齐物论). The story involves an old man known as 'Juguong' (狙公), who kept many monkeys. Due to limited resources, he decided to ration their food. Initially, he proposed giving them three acorns in the morning (朝, morning) and four in the evening (暮, evening), which angered the monkeys. However, when he reversed the order to four in the morning and three in the evening, the monkeys were satisfied, despite the total being unchanged. This idiom illustrates the folly of being swayed by superficial changes without understanding the underlying reality. In modern usage, it describes someone who is fickle or easily deceived by appearances.

Examples

English: "His indecisiveness led to constant changes in plans, leaving everyone confused."

Chinese: 他的优柔寡断导致计划不断变化，让大家感到困惑。