半信半疑
- Literal
- half believing, half doubting
- Figurative
- To half-believe and half-doubt: to accept something only partly while still being skeptical about it.
Where does 半信半疑 come from?
It does not come from a specific story but is a very common set phrase built from two parallel pairs, with 半 ("half") placed before 信 ("believe") and 疑 ("doubt"). The structure juxtaposes the two attitudes to capture an in-between frame of mind: neither full belief nor outright rejection. It is attested in written Chinese from imperial times onward and remains in everyday use today.
How is 半信半疑 used? Two examples
- 他说他中了大奖，大家都半信半疑。
He said he had won a big prize, and everyone half-believed him.
- 听了那个广告，我半信半疑，决定先上网查一下。
After hearing that ad I was half-convinced, so I decided to look it up online first.
In Wanyu, all 400 chengyu have audio on every sentence, and you can save them to your decks and review them with spaced repetition. Free.
