📖 Meaning
This idiom means that one's words and actions are consistent with each other, without contradiction. It emphasizes the importance of practicing what one preaches and maintaining harmony between speech and conduct. It is regarded as a virtue of moral integrity.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase traces back to the Book of Northern Qi (北齐书), in the Biography of Wei Shou (魏收传), which praises conduct where words and deeds are consistent, and where one is as careful at the end as at the beginning. The Song dynasty scholar Xing Bing (邢昺), in his commentary on the Analerta (论语·宪问), elaborated that a gentleman should be ashamed when his words exceed his deeds, reinforcing the principle that speech and action must align.
💡 Example Usage
他一生言行相顾，深受同事和学生们的敬重。
Throughout his life, his words and deeds were consistent, earning him the deep respect of colleagues and students alike.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 言行相顾
- Pinyin: yán xíng xiāng gù
- Literal Translation: words, actions, mutually, consider
- Category: Morality
- Characters: 4