📖 Meaning
An order issued in the morning is changed by evening. It describes a person or authority that constantly alters its policies, plans, or decisions. The idiom criticizes inconsistency and fickleness in governance or management.
📜 Origin Story
The idiom originates from a memorial titled 'On the Importance of Grain' (论贵粟疏) written by Chao Cuo (鼌错), a scholar-official of the Western Han Dynasty. In the text, Chao Cuo criticized the government's erratic taxation policies, noting that taxes were collected at irregular times and orders issued in the morning were changed by evening. He argued that such instability harmed the common people and undermined trust in the state. The phrase has since become a standard critique of inconsistent leadership.
💡 Example Usage
政策要力求相对稳定，不能朝令暮改。
Policies should strive for relative stability and must not be changed from morning to night.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 朝令暮改
- Pinyin: zhāo lìng mù gǎi
- Literal Translation: morning, order, evening, change
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4