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朝秦暮楚

zhāo Qín mù Chǔdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
serve Qin in the morning Chu in the evening (idiom) / quick to switch sides
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-c2047310a39c1c07. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

朝秦暮楚 朝秦暮楚 [zhao1 Qin2 mu4 Chu3] /serve Qin in the morning Chu in the evening (idiom); quick to switch sides/

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.

  • 朝
    cháo

    imperial or royal court / government / dynasty / reign of a sovereign or emperor / court or assembly held by a sovereign or emperor / to make a pilgrimage to / facing / towards

    zhāo

    morning

    Cháo

    abbr. for 朝鮮|朝鲜[Cháo xiǎn] Korea

  • 秦
    Qín

    surname Qin / Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) of the first emperor 秦始皇[Qín Shǐ huáng] / short name for 陝西|陕西[Shǎn xī]

  • 暮
    mù

    evening / sunset

  • 楚
    chǔ

    distinct / clear / orderly / pain / suffering / deciduous bush used in Chinese medicine (genus Vitex) / punishment cane (old)

    Chǔ

    surname Chu / abbr. for Hubei 湖北省[Hú běi Shěng] and Hunan 湖南省[Hú nán Shěng] provinces together / Chinese kingdom during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods (722–221 BC)

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.