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朝三暮四

Mandarin · pinyin zhāo sān mù sì

lit. say three in the morning but four in the evening (idiom); to change sth that is already settled upon
indecisive
to blow hot and cold

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Characters in this entry

朝: cháo · dynasty; morning
三: sān · three
暮: mù · evening, dusk, sunset; ending
四: sì · four

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1–1–4–4 · zhao1 san1 mu4 si4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

ziu1 saam1 mou6 sei3

Cantonese word readings for 朝三暮四. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(original meaning, obsolete) to deceive using tricks; to take in someone
(now more commonly, derogatory) to change one's mind frequently; to blow hot and cold; to be fickle or capricious

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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