# 朝秦暮楚

zhāo qín mù chǔ

Switch loyalties or choices opportunistically

## Meaning & wording

**Literally:** Serve Qin in the morning and Chu at night

**Register:** Critical · literary

[Choices & judgment](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/topics/decisions)

## When to use it

Criticize frequent changes of allegiance or commitment.

Can extend to indecision, but reconsidering for good reasons is different.

## Understanding the expression

Two different states provide opposite destinations within the same day. The expression describes rapidly switching loyalties or preferences, often to gain advantage or avoid commitment. It can criticize unstable partnerships or a person who continually changes choices. The historical names function as fixed parts of the idiom in modern use. A fair judgment distinguishes opportunistic switching from revising a decision when important new information genuinely changes what is reasonable or right.

## Examples

他在两派之间朝秦暮楚。

### Traditional Chinese

他在兩派之間朝秦暮楚。

tā zài liǎng pài zhī jiān zhāo qín mù chǔ 。

He keeps switching allegiance between the factions.

合作不能朝秦暮楚，今天答应明天反悔。

### Traditional Chinese

合作不能朝秦暮楚，今天答應明天反悔。

hé zuò bù néng zhāo qín mù chǔ ， jīn tiān dā ying míng tiān fǎn huǐ 。

Cooperation cannot survive constant reversals.

她选专业朝秦暮楚，始终没定下来。

### Traditional Chinese

她選專業朝秦暮楚，始終沒定下來。

tā xuǎn zhuān yè zhāo qín mù chǔ ， shǐ zhōng méi dìng xià lái 。

She keeps changing majors without settling.

有新证据而改主意，不一定是朝秦暮楚。

### Traditional Chinese

有新證據而改主意，不一定是朝秦暮楚。

yǒu xīn zhèng jù ér gǎi zhǔ yì ， bù yí dìng shì zhāo qín mù chǔ 。

Changing one's mind with new evidence is not fickleness.

## 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=%E6%9C%9D%E7%A7%A6%E6%9A%AE%E6%A5%9A)

- [Ministry of Education · 成語典](https://dict.idioms.moe.edu.tw/idiomView.jsp?ID=692&webMd=1&la=0)

## Keep exploring

- [朝三暮四 zhāo sān mù sì Keep changing one's mind or commitments ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/zhao-san-mu-si)

- [正中下怀 zhèng zhòng xià huái Be exactly what one secretly or especially wants ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/zheng-zhong-xia-huai)

- [知难而退 zhī nán ér tuì Step back after recognizing the difficulty ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/zhi-nan-er-tui)

- [置之度外 zhì zhī dù wài Set something aside from consideration ](https://chinese-idioms.yudis.dev/idioms/zhi-zhi-du-wai)

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