前倨後恭

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Chinese

front, forepart; in front; past
front, forepart; in front; past; former; previous; last; before; preceding; earlier; ago; future; time ahead; first; top; battlefront; to move forward
 
haughty; arrogant
back; behind; rear
back; behind; rear; afterwards; after; later
 
respectful
trad. (前倨後恭)
simp. (前倨后恭)

Etymology

Quoted from Su Qin, where he was ridiculng his sister-in-law for her attitude after he became famous:

蘇秦:「前倨後恭?」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
苏秦:「前倨后恭?」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE
Sū Qín xiào wèi qí sǎo yuē: “Hé qián jù ér hòu gōng yě?”
Su Qin smiled and said to his sister-in-law, “Why were you so arrogant in the past but so respectful to me now?”

Pronunciation


Idiom

前倨後恭

  1. to change from arrogance to humility (describing behaviour of snobbish people)