每天成语
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喜新厌旧

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: xǐ xīn yàn jiù
  • English Translation: To love the new and loathe the old (fickle)
  • Idiom Composition: 「喜」（To like or love）＋「新」（New things or people）＋「厌」（To loathe or get tired of）＋「旧」（Old things or people）
  • Meaning: To be attracted to new things or people while becoming bored with or discarding the old. It is generally used as a derogatory term to criticize a fickle nature or unfaithfulness in relationships.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「喜新厌旧」 contains the following nuances:

  • Infidelity in Relationships: The most frequent context is romance or marriage. It refers to the attitude of neglecting an existing partner because one has become infatuated with someone new.
  • Fickleness with Objects or Trends: Beyond human relationships, it describes a personality that quickly tires of possessions (like clothes or gadgets) or hobbies, always chasing the next trend.

3. Usage

「喜新厌旧」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Romantic Infidelity: Used to criticize someone who abandons a partner for someone new or changes romantic interests frequently.
    • Example:「他是个喜新厌旧的人，见一个爱一个，从来没有长久的感情。」
      （He is fickle in his affections, falling for every person he meets and never maintaining a long-term relationship.)
  • Consumer Behavior: Used to describe people who constantly upgrade to the latest products or change hobbies frequently, often with a tone of disapproval.
    • Example:「现在的消费者大多喜新厌旧，手机才用了一年就要换新款。」
      （Most consumers today constantly crave the new, wanting to replace their phones with the latest model after only a year.)
  • Self-Reflection or Joking: Can be used self-deprecatingly to describe one's own tendency to get bored easily.
    • Example:「我承认我有点喜新厌旧，这件衣服买回来穿了一次就不想穿了。」
      （I admit I'm a bit prone to getting bored with things; I bought this shirt, wore it once, and already don't want to wear it again.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 在这个快节奏的时代，喜新厌旧似乎成了一种普遍的心态。
    （In this fast-paced era, constantly seeking the new seems to have become a universal mindset.）
  2. 你不能因为喜新厌旧就抛弃陪伴你多年的老朋友。
    （You shouldn't abandon an old friend who has been with you for years just because you prefer someone new.）
  3. 这家公司为了迎合顾客喜新厌旧的心理，不断推出新包装。
    （To cater to the customers' fickle tastes, this company constantly releases new packaging.）
  4. 由于他喜新厌旧的毛病，家里的旧玩具堆积如山。
    （Because of his bad habit of always wanting the latest thing, old toys are piled high in his house.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The phrase is found in the Qing Dynasty (清朝) novel A Tale of Heroic Sons and Daughters (儿女英雄传), where it describes a character's fickle heart.
  • Traditional Chinese morality places high value on loyalty to long-standing relationships. This is exemplified by the concept of 糟糠之妻 (zāo kāng zhī qī), referring to a wife who shared her husband's poverty and should never be discarded. Thus, 喜新厌旧 (xǐ xīn yàn jiù) is a strong moral criticism.
  • In modern marketing contexts, the term is sometimes used more objectively to describe the 'fickle psychology' of consumers who drive the demand for new products.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

喜新厌旧 (xǐ xīn yàn jiù) literally means "to love the new and loathe the old." It is primarily used to criticize unfaithfulness or fickleness in romantic relationships. In modern contexts, it also describes the consumer psychology of constantly chasing new products or a general tendency to get bored easily with possessions.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 1

Idiom Essay

xǐ xīn yàn jiù
喜新厌旧
Fickleness
wǒ men我们měi gè每个rén人，kě néng可能dōu都yǒu有guò过zhè yàng这样yī zhǒng一种tǐ yàn体验。

Each of us has probably had an experience like this.

dāng当nǐ你gāng刚mǎi买le了yī bù一部xīn新shǒu jī手机，huò zhě或者yī jiàn一件xīn新yī fú衣服shí时，nǐ你huì会jué de觉得tā它wán měi wú quē完美无缺。

When you have just bought a new phone or a new piece of clothing, you feel it is perfect.

nǐ你xiǎo xīn yì yì小心翼翼dì地bǎo hù保护tā它，shèn zhì甚至zhǐ shì只是kàn看zhe着tā它，xīn lǐ心里dōu都huì会jué de觉得gāo xìng高兴。

You protect it carefully, and even just looking at it makes you feel happy.

kě shì可是，guò过le了yī duàn一段shí jiān时间，yě xǔ也许cái才jǐ gè几个yuè月，nà那gǔ股xīng fèn兴奋jìn er劲儿guò qù过去le了。

However, after a while, perhaps only a few months, that initial excitement fades away.

suī rán虽然dōng xī东西bìng并méi yǒu没有huài坏，gōng néng功能yě也shì是hǎo好de的，dàn但nǐ你kāi shǐ开始jué de觉得tā它méi没nà me那么shùn yǎn顺眼le了。

Even though the item is not broken and functions well, you start to feel it is not as pleasing to the eye.

shèn zhì甚至，dāng当nǐ你kàn dào看到gēng xīn更新de的kuǎn shì款式chū xiàn出现shí时，nǐ你huì会mò míng莫名dì地jué de觉得shǒu lǐ手里de的zhè ge这个“jiù旧dōng xī东西”yǒu xiē有些ài yǎn碍眼，xiǎng yào想要bǎ把tā它huàn diào换掉。

In fact, when you see a newer model appear, you might inexplicably feel that the "old thing" in your hand is an eyesore and want to replace it.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个chéng yǔ成语fēi cháng非常jīng zhǔn精准dì地gài kuò概括le了zhè zhǒng这种xīn lǐ心理，jiào叫“xǐ xīn yàn jiù喜新厌旧”。

In Chinese, there is an idiom that accurately summarizes this psychology called 喜新厌旧.

zì miàn字面shàng上kàn看，tā它fēi cháng非常zhí bái直白：“xǐ喜”shì是xǐ huān喜欢，“xīn新”shì是xīn xiān新鲜de的shì wù事物；“yàn厌”shì是yàn juàn厌倦、xián qì嫌弃，“jiù旧”shì是yǐ jīng已经yōng yǒu拥有de的、shú xī熟悉de的shì wù事物。

Literally, it is very straightforward: 喜 means to like, 新 refers to new things; 厌 means to be tired of or dislike, and 旧 refers to things already owned or familiar.

hé qǐ lái合起来，jiù shì就是xǐ huān喜欢xīn新de的，yàn qì厌弃jiù旧de的。

Put together, it means liking the new and loathing the old.

zài在dà duō shù大多数qíng kuàng情况xià下，zhè这shì是yí gè一个dài yǒu带有biǎn yì贬义sè cǎi色彩de的cí词。

In most cases, this is a word with a derogatory connotation.

rén men人们cháng yòng常用tā它lái来pī píng批评yí gè一个rén人zài在gǎn qíng感情shàng上de的bù不zhuān yī专一——jīn tiān今天xǐ huān喜欢zhè ge这个，míng tiān明天yù dào遇到gèng更yǒu有xīn xiān gǎn新鲜感de的rén人，jiù就pāo qì抛弃le了zhī qián之前de的bàn lǚ伴侣。

People often use it to criticize someone's lack of devotion in a relationship—liking someone today, then abandoning them for someone more novel tomorrow.

yīn wèi因为zài在rén jì guān xì人际关系zhōng中，wǒ men我们kàn zhòng看重de的shì是zhōng chéng忠诚hé和cháng jiǔ长久，ér而bú shì不是bù duàn不断dì地gēng huàn更换。

This is because in interpersonal relationships, we value loyalty and longevity rather than constant replacement.

dàn shì但是，rú guǒ如果wǒ men我们pāo kāi抛开dào dé道德píng pàn评判，jǐn jǐn仅仅cóng从rén xìng人性de的jiǎo dù角度kàn看，“xǐ xīn yàn jiù喜新厌旧”qí shí其实jiē shì揭示le了yí gè一个hěn很shēn kè深刻de的xīn lǐ心理zhēn xiàng真相：rén lèi人类tiān shēng天生jiù就duì对“biàn huà变化”gǎn dào感到xīng fèn兴奋，ér而duì对“chóng fù重复”gǎn dào感到má mù麻木。

However, if we set aside moral judgment and look at it from the perspective of human nature, 喜新厌旧 actually reveals a profound psychological truth: humans are naturally excited by "change" and numbed by "repetition."

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语zuì最zhí de值得wán wèi玩味de的dì fāng地方，qí shí其实bù不zài在“xǐ xīn喜新”，ér而zài在“yàn jiù厌旧”。

The most interesting part of this idiom is actually not 喜新, but 厌旧.

xǐ huān喜欢měi hǎo美好de的、xīn xiān新鲜de的shì wù事物，shì是rén人de的běn néng本能，zhè这bìng并méi yǒu没有cuò错。

Liking beautiful and fresh things is human instinct, and there is nothing wrong with that.

dàn但“yàn jiù厌旧”què shì却是yī zhǒng一种hěn很wēi xiǎn危险de的xīn tài心态。

But 厌旧 is a very dangerous mindset.

tā它yì wèi zhe意味着，nǐ你fǒu dìng否定yī yàng一样dōng xī东西de的jià zhí价值，jǐn jǐn仅仅shì是yīn wèi因为nǐ你duì对tā它tài太shú xī熟悉le了。

It means you deny the value of something simply because you are too familiar with it.

bǐ rú比如，yí gè一个péi bàn陪伴nǐ你hěn很jiǔ久de的péng yǒu朋友，yīn wèi因为tài太shú xī熟悉，nǐ你kě néng可能jué de觉得tā他shuō huà说话méi yǒu没有xīn yì新意；yī fèn一份zuò做le了hěn很jiǔ久de的gōng zuò工作，yīn wèi因为tài太shùn shǒu顺手，nǐ你kě néng可能jué de觉得tā它kū zào枯燥fá wèi乏味。

For example, with a friend who has been with you for a long time, you might feel their words lack novelty because you know them so well; or with a job you have done for a long time, you might find it dull because you are so proficient.

zhè shí hòu这时候，nǐ你kě néng可能huì会wù yǐ wéi误以为nà ge那个“xīn新de的”xuǎn zé选择yí dìng一定gèng更hǎo好。

At this point, you might mistakenly believe that the "new" choice must be better.

dàn但wǎng wǎng往往děng等nǐ你zhēn de真的huàn换le了xīn新de的，guò过bù不le了duō jiǔ多久，nà ge那个“xīn新de的”yě也huì会biàn chéng变成“jiù旧de的”，nǐ你yòu又huì会kāi shǐ开始xīn新yī lún一轮de的yàn juàn厌倦。

But often, once you actually switch to the new one, before long, that "new" thing will also become "old," and you will start a new round of boredom.

suǒ yǐ所以，“xǐ xīn yàn jiù喜新厌旧”zhè ge这个cí词，xiàng像shì是yí miàn一面jìng zi镜子。

Therefore, the term 喜新厌旧 is like a mirror.

tā它tí xǐng提醒wǒ men我们：dāng当wǒ men我们xiǎng yào想要pāo qì抛弃mǒu yàng某样dōng xī东西huò或mǒu duàn某段guān xì关系shí时，shì是yīn wèi因为tā它zhēn de真的biàn huài变坏le了，hái shì还是jǐn jǐn仅仅yīn wèi因为wǒ men我们de的xīn心wú fǎ无法rěn shòu忍受píng dàn平淡？

It reminds us: when we want to discard something or a relationship, is it because it has truly turned bad, or simply because our hearts cannot endure the mundane?

xià cì下次，dāng当nǐ你jí dù极度kě wàng渴望huàn换yí gè一个xīn新de的huán jìng环境，huò zhě或者duì对shēn biān身边shú xī熟悉de的yī qiè一切gǎn dào感到bù nài fán不耐烦shí时，nǐ你kě yǐ可以shì zhe试着yòng用zhè ge这个cí词wèn问wèn问zì jǐ自己。

Next time, when you desperately crave a new environment or feel impatient with everything familiar around you, try asking yourself using this term.

yě xǔ也许nǐ你huì会fā xiàn发现，zhēn zhèng真正de的wèn tí问题，bìng并bú shì不是jiù旧de的dōng xī东西bù gòu不够hǎo好，ér shì而是wǒ men我们shī qù失去le了zài在shú xī熟悉de的shì wù事物zhōng中fā xiàn发现měi hǎo美好de的néng lì能力。

Perhaps you will find that the real problem is not that the old things are not good enough, but that we have lost the ability to discover beauty in the familiar.

'造句' Feature Usage Guide

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