口是心非

kǒushì-xīnfēi
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 mouth says yes, heart says no
  2. 2 duplicitous
  3. 3 to say one thing and mean another

Examples

HSK 2
Tā shì ge kǒushì-xīnfēi de rén, bié quán xìn tā de huà.
He's two-faced; don't fully trust what he says.
HSK 4
Tā zuǐ shàng shuō bù zàihu, qíshí kǒushì-xīnfēi.
She says she doesn't care, but her mouth and heart disagree.
HSK 5
Nǐ bié kǒushì-xīnfēi, dàodǐ yuàn bù yuànyì?
Stop saying one thing and meaning another - do you want to or not?

Tips

usage
Used for deliberate duplicity, not for ordinary politeness or indecision. Compare with 心口不一 (similar meaning but slightly milder).

Stroke Order

kǒu
shì
xīn
fēi