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有口无心

有口無心
yǒukǒuwúxīn
idiom HSK 7

Meanings

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

Characters

有
yǒu
to have
口
kǒu
mouth
无
wú
without
心
xīn
heart; mind
Literally 'has a mouth but no heart' — speaks without meaning harm

Examples

别生气，她说话有口无心。
Bié shēngqì, tā shuōhuà yǒukǒuwúxīn.
Don't be angry, she speaks without thinking.
他虽然有口无心，但还是伤了别人的感情。
Tā suīrán yǒukǒuwúxīn, 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 (口) speaks carelessly, but whose heart (心) is absent from the words — they talk without malice, just without a filter.

Stroke Order

有 yǒu
口 kǒu
无 wú
心 xīn