諺語 · a single proverb
表裡不一
Simplified: 表里不一
What does 表裡不一 (biǎo lǐ bù yī) mean?
表裡不一 (biǎo lǐ bù yī) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "outside and inside do not match." In use it means: Someone whose words do not match their actions, or whose appearance contradicts their character; inconsistency between surface and substance. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Monkey.
Literally: "outside and inside do not match."
The reading
The label says one thing. The contents say another. This is the most common form of dishonesty: not the outright lie, but the mismatch between the presented self and the actual self. Everyone has some gap between the two. The question is whether the gap is a crack or a canyon, and whether the person is working to close it or working to hide it.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common classical and vernacular expression; appears across dynastic texts
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Monkey, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 表裡不一 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 表裡不一 (biǎo lǐ bù yī) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Common classical and vernacular expression; appears across dynastic texts. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 表裡不一?
In Mandarin it is biǎo lǐ bù yī. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 表裡不一 aloud in Mandarin.