食言 (shí yán) — to break one's promise; to go back on one's word
Definition
食言 (shí yán) means to break a promise or go back on one's word — a fairly formal, written-register verb. It focuses on failing to keep what one said, stronger and more literary than everyday phrases like 说话不算数.
verb
to break one's promiseto go back on one's word
Examples
- ，食言。Tā dā ying bāng máng, zuì hòu què shí yán le.He promised to help, but in the end he went back on his word.
- ，。Wǒ cóng wèi shí guò yán, zhè cì yě bú huì.I've never broken a promise before, and I won't this time either.
- ，食言。Zuò wéi lǐng dǎo, nǐ jué bù néng shí yán.As a leader, you absolutely cannot break your word.
Appears in
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