Definition
This is a chengyu (four-character idiom) meaning 'to be as good as one's word'. The literal reading is 'words and then have trust', but the actual meaning is about keeping promises. You use it to describe someone who follows through on what they say — a reliable and trustworthy person. It functions as a predicate or attribute in a sentence.
f.e.
to be as good as one's wordto keep one's promise
Examples
- 言而有信，。Tā xiànglái yán ér yǒu xìn, suǒyǐ dàjiā dōu hěn xìnrèn tā.He always keeps his word, so everyone trusts him.
- 言而有信，。Zuòrén yào yán ér yǒu xìn, bù néng suíbiàn shuōhuǎng.A person should be true to their word — you can't just tell lies.
- 言而有信，。Rúguǒ nǐ bù néng yán ér yǒu xìn, jiù bié qīngyì dāyìng biérén.If you can't keep your promise, don't agree to things lightly.
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