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表里如一 (biǎo lǐ rú yī) — (idiom) to be consistent in thought and action; to be genuine and honest

Definition

An idiom meaning a person's outer behavior matches their inner thoughts — sincere and consistent. Compare with 言行一致 (words match actions) and 表里不一 (two-faced, the opposite).

idiom
to be consistent in thought and actionto be genuine and honest

Examples

  • 表里如一，。
    Tā zhè ge rén biǎo lǐ rú yī, dà jiā dōu xìn rèn tā.
    He is a person who is consistent inside and out; everyone trusts him.
  • 表里如一，。
    Zuò rén yào biǎo lǐ rú yī, bù néng dāng miàn yí tào bèi hòu yí tào.
    One should be genuine, not act one way to someone's face and another behind their back.
  • 表里如一，。
    Tā shuō huà zuò shì biǎo lǐ rú yī, cóng bù shuō jiǎ huà.
    She is consistent in word and deed and never lies.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

表里outside and inside
表biǎooutside里lǐinside
联合Coordinate
如一as one
如rúlike一yīone
动宾Verb + object

表 and 里 mean outside and inside; 如一 says they are as one, so inner and outer match.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The shape 表 pairs 衣 (garment) with 毛 (hair or feather), originally an outer garment.

Open 表 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衤Written in full as衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ裡lǐ
Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Open 里 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ如rú
Same sound today

如 is built from 口 (mouth) for its meaning and 女 (woman) for its sound.

Open 如 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesPersonality & Traits

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