前倨后卑 — “Haughty before, humble after”
前倨后卑 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be initially arrogant and then become excessively humble or obsequious, often due to a change in someone's status or fortune”. Literally, “Haughty before, humble after”.
前倨后卑 Pronunciation and Pinyin
前倨后卑 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 前倨后卑
Origin and Story of 前倨后卑
During the Warring States period, the strategist Su Qin asked his father for a new fur robe and a hundred pieces of gold. He went to the Qin state to promote his political ideas but failed, returning home dispirited.
His sister-in-law wouldn't even serve him food. However, he did not lose heart. He locked himself away to study, even pricking his thigh with an awl to keep himself awake.
Later, he became the prime minister of six states. When he returned home again, his sister-in-law knelt on the ground, not daring to lift her head to look at him, demonstrating a complete change in her attitude from arrogance to submissiveness.
Idioms Related to 前倨后卑
Synonyms of 前倨后卑
More idioms starting with 前
- qián前bù不bā巴cūn村，，hòu后bù不bā巴diàn店nowhere to go for help
- qián前bù不bā巴cūn村，，hòu后bù不zháo着diàn店stranded in the middle of nowhere
- qián前bù不zháo着cūn村，，hòu后bù不zháo着diàn店stranded without support
- qián前bù不jiàn见gǔ古rén人，，hòu后bù不jiàn见lái来zhě者unprecedented and peerless, profoundly alone
- qián前shì事bù不wàng忘，，hòu后shì事zhī之shī师Learn from the past to guide the future
- qián前rén人shī失jiǎo脚，，hòu后rén人bǎ把huá滑learn from others' mistakes
- qián前rén人zāi栽shù树，，hòu后rén人chéng乘liáng凉Later generations benefit from earlier efforts
- qián前rén人zhǒng种dé德hòu后rén人shōu收Later generations benefit from ancestors' virtues
- qián前rén人zhòng种shù树，，hòu后rén人chéng乘liáng凉Later generations benefit from previous efforts
- qián前pū仆hòu后jì继fall and follow in a continuous effort
- qián前pū仆hòu后qǐ起one falls, another rises
- qián前pú仆hòu后bó踣fall one after another
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Open the tool →Questions about 前倨后卑
What does 前倨后卑 mean?
前倨后卑 (qián jù hòu bēi) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to be initially arrogant and then become excessively humble or obsequious, often due to a change in someone's status or fortune”.
How do you pronounce 前倨后卑?
前倨后卑 is pronounced qián jù hòu bēi in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 前倨后卑 literally mean?
Literally, 前倨后卑 means “Haughty before, humble after”. It is used to mean “to be initially arrogant and then become excessively humble or obsequious, often due to a change in someone's status or fortune”.
Where does 前倨后卑 come from?
前倨后卑 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 前倨后卑?
倨：傲慢。卑：谦卑，恭顺。先傲慢后恭顺。亦作“前倨后恭”、“后恭前倨”。