# 人心不古

rén xīn bù gǔ

Claim that people are less moral than in former times

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** People’s hearts are no longer as of old

**Register:** Critical · expressive

[Perspective](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/perspective)

## When to use it

Recognize a nostalgic complaint about declining morality.

The comparison often idealizes the past.

## Understanding the expression

The speaker contrasts present conduct with an imagined better past. The expression usually appears after dishonesty, betrayal, or another disappointment and conveys pessimism about social morality. It is a judgment rather than a demonstrated historical trend. Earlier times also contained wrongdoing, while present life includes kindness. A concrete incident can explain the emotion without proving the broad claim. The phrase therefore often reveals the speaker’s nostalgia as much as the conduct being criticized.

## Examples

被骗后，他感叹人心不古。

### Traditional Chinese

被騙後，他感嘆人心不古。

bèi piàn hòu ， tā gǎn tàn rén xīn bù gǔ 。

After being cheated, he lamented the decline of people’s morals.

爷爷见到假货，就说人心不古。

### Traditional Chinese

爺爺見到假貨，就說人心不古。

yé ye jiàn dào jiǎ huò ， jiù shuō rén xīn bù gǔ 。

Seeing counterfeit goods, Grandpa complained that morals had declined.

她不信人心不古，仍遇到许多好人。

### Traditional Chinese

她不信人心不古，仍遇到許多好人。

tā bú xìn rén xīn bù gǔ ， réng yù dào xǔ duō hǎo rén 。

She rejected the claim of declining morality, having met many kind people.

一次失信就说人心不古，未免太悲观。

### Traditional Chinese

一次失信就說人心不古，未免太悲觀。

yí cì shī xìn jiù shuō rén xīn bù gǔ ， wèi miǎn tài bēi guān 。

Calling society morally degraded after one broken promise is overly pessimistic.

## Sources & reference checks

Original explanations and examples from Chinese Idioms Almanac. Source-checked October 6, 2026.

- [CC-CEDICT · forms & pronunciation](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?page=worddict&wdqb=%E4%BA%BA%E5%BF%83%E4%B8%8D%E5%8F%A4)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=973&webMd=1&la=0)

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