空口

kōngkǒu

adverb

Meanings

1 eating one thing alone (without rice, bread or a drink)
2 empty-mouthed

Characters

Examples

别空口吃菜，配点饭。

Bié kōngkǒu chī cài, pèi diǎn fàn.

Don't eat just the dishes alone — have some rice with them.

他空口喝了两杯白酒。

Tā kōngkǒu hē le liǎng bēi báijiǔ.

He drank two cups of baijiu without any food.

Tips

culture

空口 reflects a Chinese eating norm: 菜 (dishes) are meant to accompany 饭 (staple grain) or 酒 (alcohol). Eating dishes 'by themselves' is mildly improper or at least informal.

usage

Also appears in 空口无凭 (kōngkǒu wú píng) — 'mere words are no proof' — where 空口 means 'empty mouth' (talk without evidence).

Stroke Order

空 kōng

口 kǒu