有口无心

有口無心
yǒukǒu-wúxīn
idiom HSK 7-9

Meanings

  1. 1 to speak without meaning it
  2. 2 to say things without thinking
  3. 3 sharp-tongued but soft-hearted

Characters

Literally 'has a mouth but no heart' - speaks without meaning harm

Examples

HSK 1
Bié shēngqì, tā shuōhuà yǒukǒu-wúxīn.
Don't be angry, she speaks without thinking.
HSK 3
Tā suīrán yǒukǒu-wúxīn, dàn háishì shāng le biérén de gǎnqíng.
Although he didn't mean what he said, he still hurt others' feelings.

Tips

memory
Imagine someone whose mouth () speaks carelessly, but whose heart () is absent from the words - they talk without malice, just without a filter.

Stroke Order

yǒu
kǒu
xīn