贻人口实

貽人口實

yírén-kǒushí

idiom

Meanings

1 to give others a handle (against oneself)
2 to leave oneself open to criticism
3 to give people something to talk about

Characters

to leave behind / to give

person / others

substance / material

Examples

HSK 3

这件事处理不好，恐怕会贻人口实。

Zhè jiàn shì chǔlǐ bùhǎo, kǒngpà huì yírén-kǒushí.

If this matter is handled badly, it could become a handle for criticism.

HSK 7-9

公开人物言行要谨慎，免得贻人口实。

Gōngkāi rénwù yánxíng yào jǐnshèn, miǎnde yírén-kǒushí.

Public figures must be careful in word and deed, or they'll give people ammunition against them.

Tips

history

The phrase 口实 ('mouth-stuff', i.e. talking points) appears in 《尚书·仲虺之诰》: 于恐来世以台为口实 - fearing later generations would use 'me' as their talking point. By the Ming-Qing era 贻人口实 was a fixed idiom for handing critics ammunition.

memory

贻 (give, leave behind) + 人 (others) + 口实 (mouth-fodder, i.e. talking points), literally 'leave others mouth-fodder'.

Stroke Order

贻 yí

人 rén

口 kǒu

实 shí