📖 Meaning
To be partly skeptical and partly convinced at the same time, unable to determine whether something is true or false. It describes a state of wavering between belief and disbelief, without reaching a firm conclusion either way.
📜 Origin Story
This idiom originates from the Tang dynasty poet Yuan Zhen's poem 'Ancient City-Building Song' (《古筑城曲》). In the poem, Yuan Zhen describes a frontier scenario where a peace negotiation is proposed after conflict — the defenders are half-doubting and half-believing the enemy's sincerity, so they continue building the city walls as a precaution. The phrase captured the ambivalent, cautious mindset of people facing uncertain claims, and later entered common usage as a set idiom.
💡 Example Usage
我对他的承诺半疑半信，决定再观察一段时间。
I was half-doubting and half-believing his promise, so I decided to observe for a while longer.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 半疑半信
- Pinyin: bàn yí bàn xìn
- Literal Translation: half doubt, half believe
- Category: Attitude
- Characters: 4