bèixìnqìyì: 背信弃义 - To Betray Trust and Abandon Principles; Perfidious

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• Summary: Discover the powerful Chinese chengyu (idiom) bèixìnqìyì (背信弃义), a term describing the grave act of betraying trust and abandoning one's moral principles. More than just breaking a promise, this idiom signifies a deep moral failure and treachery. This page explores its meaning, cultural roots in the importance of '信' (xìn - trust), and how to use this formal and condemnatory term in modern contexts.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): bèi xìn qì yì
• Part of Speech: Chengyu (成语 - idiom); can function as a verb or adjective.
• HSK Level: N/A (Advanced vocabulary, suitable for HSK 6 and above)
• Concise Definition: To break faith and abandon righteousness; to be perfidious or treacherous.
• In a Nutshell: This is not for describing someone who forgot to call you back. 背信弃义 (bèixìnqìyì) is a heavyweight term used to condemn a serious moral crime. It means someone has completely turned their back on a deeply held trust and thrown away their moral compass, usually for personal gain. Think of it as the ultimate accusation of treachery in a personal, business, or political relationship. The feeling is one of profound disappointment and moral outrage.

• 背 (bèi): To turn one's back on; to carry on the back. In this context, it means to violate or go against.
• 信 (xìn): Trust, faith, belief, sincerity. This is a cornerstone of Confucian ethics, representing reliability and integrity.
• 弃 (qì): To abandon, to discard, to cast aside as worthless.
• 义 (yì): Righteousness, justice, duty, morality. This refers to doing the “right thing” and upholding one's responsibilities to others.

When combined, the characters paint a vivid picture: “To turn your back on trust (背信) and abandon/discard righteousness (弃义).” The structure highlights a two-part moral failure: the betrayal of a specific trust and the abandonment of general moral principles.

The gravity of 背信弃义 (bèixìnqìyì) is rooted in the immense value placed on 信 (xìn) and 义 (yì) in Chinese culture, largely influenced by Confucianism.

• 信 (xìn) is more than just “trust”; it's a person's credibility and the foundation of all social relationships. A person without 信 is considered unreliable and not a worthy member of the community.
• 义 (yì) is the moral glue of society, representing a commitment to justice, duty, and appropriateness in one's actions, especially in relationships with family, friends, and society at large.

Comparison to Western Concepts: A Westerner might say someone “breached a contract” or was “two-faced.”

• “Breach of contract” is primarily a legal or commercial concept. While it involves a broken promise, it doesn't always carry the same deep moral condemnation as 背信弃义. One can breach a contract for logistical reasons, but 背信弃义 implies a deliberate, morally corrupt choice.
• “Treacherous” or “perfidious” are close in meaning but 背信弃义 is more specific about what is being betrayed: both the interpersonal bond of 信 (trust) and the universal code of 义 (righteousness). It's a holistic condemnation of someone's character. Accusing someone of being 背信弃义 is to say they have fundamentally failed as a moral person.

This is a formal and very strong term. You will almost never hear it in casual, everyday conversation about minor issues.

• Formal Condemnation: Its primary use is to formally and strongly condemn a serious act of betrayal. It's common in:
  • News and Politics: Describing a politician who betrays their constituents or an ally who breaks a treaty.
  • Business: Accusing a partner who steals trade secrets or deliberately violates a foundational agreement for profit.
  • Legal Settings: Used in arguments to paint the opposing party as morally bankrupt and untrustworthy.
  • Literature and History: To describe villains, traitors, and figures who have committed great acts of betrayal.
• Connotation and Tone: The connotation is 100% negative and carries a heavy, judgmental tone. It's an accusation, not a neutral description. If you use this word, you are passing a severe moral judgment.

• Example 1: (Business Betrayal)
  • 他为了个人利益，背信弃义，出卖了公司的核心机密。
  • Pinyin: Tā wèile gèrén lìyì, bèixìnqìyì, chūmài le gōngsī de héxīn jīmì.
  • English: For the sake of personal gain, he was perfidious and sold out the company's core secrets.
  • Analysis: This is a classic use case. The act (selling secrets) is a clear violation of trust (信) and professional duty (义).
• Example 2: (Personal Betrayal)
  • 我真没想到我最好的朋友会这样背信弃义，把我的秘密告诉了所有人。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zhēn méi xiǎngdào wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyǒu huì zhèyàng bèixìnqìyì, bǎ wǒ de mìmì gàosù le suǒyǒu rén.
  • English: I never would have thought my best friend would be so treacherous as to tell my secret to everyone.
  • Analysis: The speaker is using strong language to express deep hurt and moral outrage at a friend's severe betrayal.
• Example 3: (Historical/Political Context)
  • 在历史上，那些背信弃义的叛徒最终都没有好下场。
  • Pinyin: Zài lìshǐ shàng, nàxiē bèixìnqìyì de pàntú zuìzhōng dōu méiyǒu hǎo xiàchǎng.
  • English: In history, those perfidious traitors never came to a good end.
  • Analysis: Here, 背信弃义 is used as an adjective to describe “traitors” (叛徒 - pàntú), emphasizing their moral corruption.
• Example 4: (Formal Warning)
  • 我们选择合作伙伴时，最看重的是诚信，绝不与背信弃义之徒为伍。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xuǎnzé hézuò huǒbàn shí, zuì kànzhòng de shì chéngxìn, jué bù yǔ bèixìnqìyì zhī tú wéi wǔ.
  • English: When we choose partners, what we value most is integrity; we will never associate with perfidious people.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses a very formal structure (“之徒” - zhī tú, a formal way to say “person/people”) to state a core principle.
• Example 5: (Legal Accusation)
  • 对方公司的行为完全是背信弃义，严重违反了我们合同的根本原则。
  • Pinyin: Duìfāng gōngsī de xíngwéi wánquán shì bèixìnqìyì, yánzhòng wéifǎn le wǒmen hétóng de gēnběn yuánzé.
  • English: The other company's actions are completely perfidious, seriously violating the fundamental principles of our contract.
  • Analysis: Using this term in a legal or business dispute elevates the complaint from a simple breach to a moral failure.
• Example 6: (In a Story)
  • 他曾经发誓要永远忠诚，但金钱的诱惑让他最终选择了背信弃义。
  • Pinyin: Tā céngjīng fāshì yào yǒngyuǎn zhōngchéng, dàn jīnqián de yòuhuò ràng tā zuìzhōng xuǎnzé le bèixìnqìyì.
  • English: He once swore to be eternally loyal, but the temptation of money made him ultimately choose perfidy.
  • Analysis: Shows the term used as a noun phrase representing the act of betrayal itself.
• Example 7: (Questioning Character)
  • 一个连基本承诺都无法遵守的人，将来会不会做出背信弃义的事情？
  • Pinyin: Yī ge lián jīběn chéngnuò dōu wúfǎ zūnshǒu de rén, jiānglái huì bu huì zuòchū bèixìnqìyì de shìqing?
  • English: A person who can't even keep a basic promise, will they commit treacherous acts in the future?
  • Analysis: This sentence contrasts a small failure (not keeping a promise) with the potential for a much larger one (背信弃义).
• Example 8: (Broken Political Promise)
  • 那位政客上台后，完全忘记了对选民的承诺，其行为无异于背信弃义。
  • Pinyin: Nà wèi zhèngkè shàngtái hòu, wánquán wàngjì le duì xuǎnmín de chéngnuò, qí xíngwéi wú yì yú bèixìnqìyì.
  • English: After that politician took office, he completely forgot his promises to the voters; his actions were tantamount to treachery.
  • Analysis: “无异于” (wú yì yú) means “no different from,” a structure often used with 背信弃义 to equate an action with this severe concept.
• Example 9: (General Moral Statement)
  • 做人要讲信用，不能做背信弃义的小人。
  • Pinyin: Zuòrén yào jiǎng xìnyòng, bù néng zuò bèixìnqìyì de xiǎorén.
  • English: To be a good person, you must be trustworthy; you cannot be a despicable person who betrays trust.
  • Analysis: A straightforward moral lesson. “小人” (xiǎorén) refers to a person of low character, often contrasted with the “君子” (jūnzǐ) or gentleman.
• Example 10: (Expressing Disillusionment)
  • 经历了那次背信弃义的事件后，他再也不轻易相信任何人了。
  • Pinyin: Jīnglì le nà cì bèixìnqìyì de shìjiàn hòu, tā zài yě bù qīngyì xiāngxìn rènhé rén le.
  • English: After experiencing that perfidious incident, he no longer easily trusts anyone.
  • Analysis: Here, the idiom functions as an adjective modifying “incident” (事件 - shìjiàn), highlighting the nature of the event that caused his disillusionment.

• Mistake 1: Using it for minor issues.
  • Incorrect: 我朋友迟到了十分钟，真是背信弃义！ (My friend was 10 minutes late, so perfidious!)
  • Reason: This is extreme overkill. 背信弃义 is for grave moral betrayals, not minor inconveniences or broken casual promises. For a simple broken promise, you would use a much lighter term like 食言 (shíyán) - “to eat one's words” or 说话不算话 (shuōhuà bù suàn huà) - “one's words don't count.”
• Mistake 2: Confusing it with simple unfaithfulness.
  • While betraying a romantic partner can be an act of 背信弃义, the term is not exclusively about romantic infidelity. In English, “unfaithful” often immediately brings romance to mind. 背信弃义 is broader, applying equally to business, friendship, and politics. For romantic cheating specifically, the more common and direct term is 出轨 (chūguǐ) - “to cheat on someone.” You could say someone's cheating was an act of 背信弃义, but the latter describes the moral character of the act, while the former describes the act itself.

• 言而无信 (yán ér wú xìn) - To go back on one's word. A very close synonym, but with a stronger focus on the verbal promise (`言` - word/speech).
• 见利忘义 (jiàn lì wàng yì) - To see profit and forget righteousness. This often describes the motive behind an act of 背信弃义.
• 卖国求荣 (mài guó qiú róng) - To betray one's country for personal glory. This is an extreme and specific form of 背信弃义 on a national level.
• 食言 (shíyán) - (Lit: to eat words) To break a promise. This is a much less formal and less severe synonym.
• 出卖 (chūmài) - To sell out, to betray. A common verb for the act of betrayal, whereas 背信弃义 describes the entire moral failure.
• 忘恩负义 (wàng ēn fù yì) - To forget gratitude and betray righteousness. Similar, but specifically highlights ingratitude as the core of the betrayal.
• 信义 (xìnyì) - Faith and righteousness; credibility. The combined virtues that are violated by someone who is 背信弃义.
• 忠诚 (zhōngchéng) - Loyalty, faithfulness. A direct antonym.
• 一诺千金 (yī nuò qiān jīn) - A single promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold. An antonymous idiom that expresses the high value of keeping one's word.
• 君子 (jūnzǐ) - The gentleman; a person of noble character. The ideal person in Confucianism who would never be 背信弃义.