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言而有信

yán ér yǒu xìndictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
to speak and keep one's promise (idiom) / as good as one's word
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-08daac9c7f445ed2. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

言而有信 言而有信 [yan2 er2 you3 xin4] /to speak and keep one's promise (idiom); as good as one's word/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

  • 言
    yán

    words / speech / to say / to talk

  • 而
    ér

    and / as well as / and so / but (not) / yet (not) / (indicates causal relation) / (indicates change of state) / (indicates contrast)

  • 有
    yǒu

    to have / there is / (bound form) having / with / -ful / -ed / -al (as in 有意[yǒu yì] intentional)

  • 信
    xìn

    letter / mail / CL:封[fēng] / to trust / to believe / to profess faith in / truthful / confidence / trust / at will / at random

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.