耍嘴皮子

shuǎzuǐpízi

phrase #22,230

Meanings

1 to pay lip service
2 to be all talk
3 to talk glibly
4 to shoot one's mouth off

Characters

to play; to brandish; to show off

suffix (nominalizer)

Examples

他只会耍嘴皮子，从来不付诸行动。

Tā zhǐ huì shuǎzuǐpízi, cónglái bù fùzhū xíngdòng.

He only knows how to talk; he never takes action.

别耍嘴皮子了，有本事就拿出成果来。

Bié shuǎzuǐpízi le, yǒu běnshi jiù ná chū chéngguǒ lái.

Stop with the lip service — if you have what it takes, show some results.

Tips

register

耍嘴皮子 is colloquial and slightly dismissive — used to call out someone who is all words and no action. 耍 (shuǎ) means 'to play/brandish,' so the image is literally 'playing with one's lip skin.' It carries mild contempt and is more informal than 说空话 (to talk empty words).

Stroke Order

耍 shuǎ

嘴 zuǐ

皮 pí

子 zǐ