CHENGYU
两面三刀(liǎng miàn sān dāo)meaning, story and origin
- Register:
- neutral, critical
- Source:
- 元·李行道《灰阑记》
MEANING
- Literal
- two faces and three knives
- Figurative meaning
- double-dealing; two-faced scheming
ORIGIN STORY
In the Yuan play The Chalk Circle, a wife betrays her husband — the text says "who knew she had two faces and three knives". The image is a person who smiles to your face and schemes behind your back.
NATURAL EQUIVALENT
“two-faced”
EXAMPLES
这个人两面三刀，别相信他。Zhège rén liǎng miàn sān dāo, bié xiāngxìn tā.HSK6
This person has two faces and three knives — do not trust him.
他最讨厌两面三刀的人。Tā zuì tǎoyàn liǎng miàn sān dāo de rén.HSK6
Nothing disgusts him more than a two-faced schemer.
COMMON MISTAKE
Watch out: It means hypocritical betrayal — not being moody or changeable.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
Tap a character to explore it
TRUST & SOURCES
- Reviewed by
- AI-assisted editorial review
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-15
- CC-CEDICT 2026-01-01