言而有信 (yán ér yǒu xìn) — to be as good as one's word; to keep one's promise
Definition
A formal idiom meaning 'to be as good as one's word' — emphasizes keeping promises and acting with integrity. Used in writing or serious speech, stronger and more literary than the everyday 说话算数.
idiom
to be as good as one's wordto keep one's promise
Examples
- 言而有信，。Tā xiàng lái yán ér yǒu xìn, suǒ yǐ dà jiā dōu hěn xìn rèn tā.He always keeps his word, so everyone trusts him.
- 言而有信，。Zuò rén yào yán ér yǒu xìn, bù néng suí biàn shuō huǎng.A person should be true to their word — you can't just tell lies.
- 言而有信，。Rú guǒ nǐ bù néng yán ér yǒu xìn, jiù bié qīng yì dā ying bié rén.If you can't keep your promise, don't agree to things lightly.
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