本性难移

běn xìng nán yí
idiom★Intermediate💡 one's true nature is hard to change◆idiom
◆ What It Really Means
The idea that a person's fundamental character or nature is difficult to alter, often implying that bad habits or inherent traits persist despite efforts to change.
Literal Meaning
One's true nature is hard to move or change.
Literal Breakdown
本性true nature+难difficult+移to move or change
◇ Mental Image
The image of a person's inherent traits being as fixed as their true nature, like a tree's roots or a mountain's foundation.
◈ When to Use
When someone repeatedly exhibits the same negative behavior despite attempts to change, such as a person who keeps lying even after being caught.
◉ Cultural Note
This idiom reflects the Confucian emphasis on moral character and the belief that one's true nature is deeply ingrained and difficult to alter.
informal

Describes the idea that a person's fundamental character or nature is difficult to alter, often implying that bad habits or inherent traits persist despite efforts to change.

她本性难移，依然喜欢说谎。

She can't change her true nature and still likes to lie.

这个人本性难移，总是自私自利。

This person can't change his true nature and is always selfish.

💡

Often used to describe negative traits that persist despite attempts to change.

Collocations

本性难移的人a person whose true nature is hard to change

Related Phrases

秉性难改idiom
one's inherent nature is hard to change
改过自新phrase
to reform oneself

💡Pro Tip

Usage Context

This idiom is often used in a negative context to describe persistent bad habits or traits.

⚡Gold Rule

Literal vs. Figurative

The idiom is not about physical movement but about the difficulty of changing one's fundamental character.

📖Word Origin

The idiom combines '本性' (true nature) and '难移' (hard to change), reflecting the Confucian belief in the importance of moral character and the difficulty of altering inherent traits.

📝Usage Notes

This idiom is often used to describe negative traits or behaviors that persist despite efforts to change. It can also be used to describe habits or tendencies that are deeply ingrained.

Word Breakdown

本性
true nature
root
+
难移
hard to change
root
汉英词典