心口不一

xīnkǒu-bùyī
idiom

Meanings

  1. 1 to say one thing and think another
  2. 2 heart and mouth at odds

Examples

HSK 3
Tā zuǐ shàng shuō méi guānxi, qíshí shì xīnkǒu-bùyī, xīnli nánguò de hěn.
She said it was fine, but she didn't mean it; inside she was very upset.
HSK 4
Tā zhège rén xīnkǒu-bùyī, shuō de huà bù néng quán xìn.
He says one thing and thinks another, so you can't believe everything he says.

Tips

usage
Milder than 口是心非. 口是心非 is deliberate two-facedness, while 心口不一 covers any gap between words and feelings, including polite white lies and inner conflict. The opposite is 心口如一, saying what one thinks.

Stroke Order

心 xīn
口 kǒu
不 bù
一 yī