Chinese Idioms 7: How often do you change your mind?

"Change one's mind constantly"

   This four-character idiom's structure is an apposition: the first part (sanxin) is parallel to the second (eryi). If your heart is three and
your intention is two, it means you are not consistent, you will easily change your mind. In this idiom xin (heart) and yi (intention) are parallel and indicate the same concept. The different number in front of them indicates inconsistency.

   For the ones of you interested in the Chinese definition of this idiom, here it is: "又想这样又想那样，犹豫不定。 不安心，不专一。"

   This idiom's meaning is often derogatory: it does not only imply that you often change your mind, but also that you are not sincere.

Some similar idioms:

朝三暮四 zhāo sān mù sì   (morning-three-dusk-four) to say three in the morning and four in the evening:  be fickle/hookwind the gullible

见异思迁  jiàn yì sī qiān (see-different-thought-move)  change one's mind as something different comes up: be inconstant/irresolute


   Let's see this idiom:

"heart and soul, bent on (doing something), wholehartedly"

See? This idiom has the same structure, the same words of the first. The meaning is the opposite: Heart and intention coincide.

   Hope you liked this post. Se you next time!