dāngmiàn yī tào, bèihòu yī tào: 当面一套，背后一套 - Two-faced, Saying One Thing and Doing Another

• Keywords: dangmian yi tao beihou yi tao, dāngmiàn yī tào bèihòu yī tào, 当面一套背后一套, Chinese two-faced meaning, saying one thing doing another Chinese, duplicitous in Chinese, Chinese idiom for hypocrisy, what does dangmian yi tao mean, backstabbing in Chinese.
• Summary: Learn the meaning of the popular Chinese idiom 当面一套，背后一套 (dāngmiàn yī tào, bèihòu yī tào), a powerful phrase used to describe someone who is two-faced, duplicitous, or a backstabber. This entry explores the cultural significance of this expression, which literally translates to “one set to your face, another set behind your back.” Understand how this concept of hypocrisy is viewed in modern China and learn to use it effectively in conversation.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dāngmiàn yī tào, bèihòu yī tào
• Part of Speech: Idiomatic Expression (成语类词组, chéngyǔ lèi cízǔ)
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: To act one way in a person's presence but another way behind their back.
• In a Nutshell: This phrase vividly paints a picture of hypocrisy and deceit. Imagine someone who is friendly, complimentary, and supportive when you are around, but the moment you leave, they criticize you, spread rumors, or work against your interests. They have two completely different “sets” (一套) of behaviors: one for when they are “facing you” (当面) and another for when they are “behind your back” (背后). The phrase carries a strong negative connotation of betrayal, untrustworthiness, and disloyalty.

• 当 (dāng): At, during, in the presence of.
• 面 (miàn): Face, surface.
  • Together, 当面 (dāngmiàn) means “to someone's face” or “in someone's presence.”
• 背 (bèi): Back (of the body).
• 后 (hòu): Behind, after.
  • Together, 背后 (bèihòu) means “behind someone's back.”
• 一套 (yī tào): A set of something (e.g., a set of clothes, a set of rules, a set of behaviors).

The structure of the idiom is a direct and powerful contrast. It juxtaposes two scenarios: `当面` (in front of you) and `背后` (behind you). In each scenario, the person employs a different `一套` (a “set” of words or actions), exposing their duplicity.

This phrase touches on deep-seated cultural values in China related to social harmony, indirectness, and the concept of 面子 (miànzi), or “face.” In both Western and Chinese cultures, being two-faced is seen as a serious character flaw. However, the emphasis in Chinese culture on maintaining surface harmony (`和谐, héxié`) and avoiding direct confrontation can create complex social situations. While direct honesty is valued, openly criticizing someone can cause both parties to “lose face,” which is a major social taboo. A Westerner might say, “If you have a problem with me, say it to my face.” This direct approach is often seen as virtuous. In a Chinese context, while the backstabbing behavior of `当面一套，背后一套` is universally condemned, the impulse to avoid direct, face-to-face conflict is strong. This idiom thus serves as a powerful condemnation for those who take this indirectness to a malicious and hypocritical extreme. It separates socially graceful indirectness from outright deceitful behavior. It's the weaponization of indirectness for personal gain or to harm others, which is considered a violation of trust and social decency.

This is a very common phrase used to criticize people in various settings. It is almost always an accusation and carries a strong negative judgment.

• Office Politics: This is perhaps the most common environment to hear this phrase. It perfectly describes a colleague who praises the boss in meetings but complains about them endlessly to others, or who agrees to help you with a project but then secretly undermines it.
• Gossip and Social Circles: It's used to call out “friends” who are nice to you in person but spread rumors or talk badly about you to others in the friend group.
• Business Negotiations: A business partner who makes promises during a meeting but then instructs their team to act contrary to the agreement could be described this way.

The phrase is generally informal but can be used in more serious contexts to level a strong accusation. Because it's so condemning, you should be sure of the facts before using it to describe someone directly.

• Example 1:
  • 我最讨厌那种当面一套，背后一套的人。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zuì tǎoyàn nà zhǒng dāngmiàn yī tào, bèihòu yī tào de rén.
  • English: I really hate people who are two-faced.
  • Analysis: A direct statement expressing a personal dislike for this type of behavior. This is a very common way to use the phrase.
• Example 2:
  • 你要小心新来的经理，他好像有点当面一套，背后一套。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ yào xiǎoxīn xīn lái de jīnglǐ, tā hǎoxiàng yǒudiǎn dāngmiàn yī tào, bèihòu yī tào.
  • English: You need to be careful with the new manager; he seems a bit two-faced.
  • Analysis: Used here as a warning. The addition of “有点 (yǒudiǎn)” meaning “a little bit” softens the accusation slightly, making it sound more like a suspicion than a confirmed fact.
• Example 3:
  • 我真没想到，我最好的朋友竟然对我当面一套，背后一套。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zhēn méi xiǎngdào, wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyǒu jìngrán duì wǒ dāngmiàn yī tào, bèihòu yī tào.
  • English: I never would have thought that my best friend would be two-faced towards me.
  • Analysis: Expresses shock and betrayal. The word “竟然 (jìngrán)” emphasizes the unexpected and unbelievable nature of the friend's actions.
• Example 4:
  • 他当着我们的面说支持这个项目，可背后却向总部抱怨，真是典型的当面一套，背后一套。
  • Pinyin: Tā dāngzhe wǒmen de miàn shuō zhīchí zhège xiàngmù, kě bèihòu què xiàng zǒngbù bàoyuàn, zhēnshi diǎnxíng de dāngmiàn yī tào, bèihòu yī tào.
  • English: He said he supported this project to our faces, but then complained to headquarters behind our backs. It's a classic case of being two-faced.
  • Analysis: This sentence provides a clear before-and-after example of the behavior, making the accusation very specific.
• Example 5:
  • 在职场上，你必须学会分辨谁是真心的，谁是当面一套，背后一套。
  • Pinyin: Zài zhíchǎng shàng, nǐ bìxū xuéhuì fēnbiàn shéi shì zhēnxīn de, shéi shì dāngmiàn yī tào, bèihòu yī tào.
  • English: In the workplace, you must learn to distinguish who is sincere and who is two-faced.
  • Analysis: This sentence frames the idiom as a category of person one must be wary of, especially in a professional context.
• Example 6:
  • 别再当面一套，背后一套了，有什么问题我们直接说清楚。
  • Pinyin: Bié zài dāngmiàn yī tào, bèihòu yī tào le, yǒu shénme wèntí wǒmen zhíjiē shuō qīngchǔ.
  • English: Stop being so two-faced. If there's a problem, let's just talk about it directly.
  • Analysis: A direct confrontation, using the phrase to command someone to stop their deceptive behavior and opt for honesty.
• Example 7:
  • 这种当面一套，背后一套的做法非常不专业。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng dāngmiàn yī tào, bèihòu yī tào de zuòfǎ fēicháng bù zhuānyè.
  • English: This way of doing things (being two-faced) is very unprofessional.
  • Analysis: Here, the phrase is used to describe a “way of doing things” (做法, zuòfǎ), criticizing the action rather than the person directly.
• Example 8:
  • 他对老板总是笑脸相迎，但背后却说老板的坏话，就是个当面一套，背后一套的小人。
  • Pinyin: Tā duì lǎobǎn zǒngshì xiàoliǎn xiāngyíng, dàn bèihòu què shuō lǎobǎn de huàihuà, jiùshì ge dāngmiàn yī tào, bèihòu yī tào de xiǎorén.
  • English: He always greets the boss with a smile, but badmouths him behind his back; he's just a petty, two-faced person.
  • Analysis: This example combines the idiom with the concept of a 小人 (xiǎorén), a petty or morally inferior person, which is a very strong insult.
• Example 9:
  • 我宁愿要一个真诚的敌人，也不要一个当面一套，背后一套的朋友。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ nìngyuàn yào yīgè zhēnchéng de dírén, yě bùyào yīgè dāngmiàn yī tào, bèihòu yī tào de péngyǒu.
  • English: I would rather have a sincere enemy than a two-faced friend.
  • Analysis: A proverbial saying that highlights the extreme undesirability of this trait, rating it as worse than open animosity.
• Example 10:
  • 他们的公司文化就是当面一套，背后一套，所以员工之间毫无信任。
  • Pinyin: Tāmen de gōngsī wénhuà jiùshì dāngmiàn yī tào, bèihòu yī tào, suǒyǐ yuángōng zhī jiān háo wú xìnrèn.
  • English: Their company culture is completely two-faced, so there's absolutely no trust between employees.
  • Analysis: This applies the concept to an entire organization's culture, not just an individual, showing its versatility.

• Not Just Changing Your Mind: A common mistake is to apply this phrase to someone who simply changes their opinion. This idiom implies deliberate and malicious deception. If someone agrees with you today but disagrees tomorrow after learning new information, they are not `当面一套，背后一套`. The key is the duplicitous intent to maintain a false appearance in front of you while acting differently in secret.
• Politeness vs. Deceit: Simply being polite to a person you dislike is not the same as `当面一套，背后一套`. Most cultures have social niceties. The phrase applies when that “politeness” is a cover for actively undermining or harming that person behind their back. The line is crossed when passive pleasantry becomes active, secret opposition.
• Incorrect Usage Example:
  • Incorrect: 他在工作中很严肃，但在家里很爱开玩笑，真是当面一套，背后一套。(Tā zài gōngzuò zhōng hěn yánsù, dàn zài jiālǐ hěn ài kāiwánxiào, zhēnshi dāngmiàn yī tào, bèihòu yī tào.) → He's serious at work, but loves to joke at home, he's so two-faced.
  • Why it's wrong: This is simply having different behaviors for different contexts (work vs. home), which is normal. There is no deception or malicious intent implied. The phrase requires a contradiction related to the same issue or person.

• 两面派 (liǎngmiànpài) - A two-faced person; a double-dealer. This is the noun form, describing the person who engages in this behavior.
• 口是心非 (kǒu shì xīn fēi) - “The mouth is, the heart is not.” To say one thing but mean another. This focuses on the conflict between one's words and inner thoughts.
• 阳奉阴违 (yáng fèng yīn wéi) - “Publicly obey, privately defy.” To feign compliance while secretly going against orders. Often used to describe a subordinate's relationship with a superior.
• 说一套，做一套 (shuō yī tào, zuò yī tào) - “Say one set, do another set.” To say one thing and do another. Very similar, but focuses on the general contradiction between words and actions, not necessarily dependent on who is present.
• 虚伪 (xūwěi) - Hypocritical; false. A general adjective for hypocrisy, whereas our term describes a specific manifestation of it.
• 小人 (xiǎorén) - A “small person” or petty person. A person of low moral character who is likely to engage in backstabbing and dishonest behavior.
• 面子 (miànzi) - “Face”; social prestige and reputation. The desire to preserve `面子` by avoiding direct conflict is a cultural factor that can sometimes, in its extreme form, lead to this kind of two-faced behavior.
• 说坏话 (shuō huàihuà) - To badmouth someone. This is the specific action that a person often does `背后` (behind someone's back).