信誓旦旦
xìn shì dàn dàn
to swear solemnly; earnest vows
Character by character
信xìn
sincere
sincere
誓shì
vow
vow
旦dàn
clear
clear
旦dàn
clear
clear
Example
他信誓旦旦地说下个月一定还钱,结果又没消息了。
He swore up and down he would pay the money back next month, and then went quiet again.
Tone: neutral.
Usage and origin
From 《卫风·氓》 (信誓旦旦,不思其反), a deserted wife remembering her husband’s vows. Today it often carries irony: the promise is made with great earnestness and later broken. Collocates with 地说, 表示, 保证.
Learn this in Lesson 230 · HSK 9+: 诗经:最早的歌 (The Book of Songs)
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