Chinese word

忠言逆耳

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhōng yán nì ěr

Meaning

  • idiomgood advice is hard to hear

Example

虽然忠言逆耳，我决定采纳。suī rán zhōng yán nì ěr wǒ jué dìng cǎi nà

Although good advice is hard to hear, I decide to accept it.

Illustration for 忠言逆耳 (good advice is hard to hear)

More examples

听到忠言逆耳的话，他沉默了。tīng dào zhōng yán nì ěr de huà tā chén mò le

After hearing the hard-to-hear words of good advice, he fell silent.

Core concept

An unwelcome nudge can reveal the change needed for improvement.

Common phrases

  • 忠言逆耳的话zhōng yán nì ěr de huà

    hard-to-hear words of good advice

  • 忠言逆耳的建议zhōng yán nì ěr de jiàn yì

    hard-to-hear good advice

Similar words

良药苦口liáng yào kú kǒu: A beneficial remedy or piece of advice may be unpleasant, like medicine with a bitter taste.
苦口良言kú kǒu liáng yán: Honest, useful advice can sound harsh while guiding better actions.

Definition in Chinese

指出错误或提出建设性意见的话往往让人听起来不舒服，但这些话对改进有益。zhǐ chū cuò wù huò tí chū jiàn shè xìng yì jiàn de huà wáng wǎng ràng rén tīng qǐ lái bù shū fú dàn zhè xiē huà duì gǎi jìn yǒu yì

Word origin

The four characters move from 忠言 (zhōngyán, "sincere advice") to 逆耳 (nì'ěr, "hard on the ear"), turning the contrast between value and discomfort into a compact idiom.

Usage tips

  • The phrase fits a friend pointing out a fixable habit, while a personal insult lacks the constructive purpose that makes the idiom appropriate.

Other meanings

  • good medicine tastes bitteridiom

Opposites

  • 花言巧语huā yán qiáo yǔsweet talkidiom
  • 阿谀奉承ē yú fèng chéngflatteryidiom

Related words

  • 忠言zhōng yángood advicenoun

Word lists with this word