Chinese word

口无遮拦

Pronunciation

Pinyinkǒu wú zhē lán

Meaning

  • idiomhave a loose tongue

Example

口无遮拦，他把别人的秘密都说出来了。kǒu wú zhē lán tā bǎ bié rén de mì mì dōu shuō chū lái le

He has a loose tongue and tells everyone else's secrets.

Illustration for 口无遮拦 (have a loose tongue)

More examples

口无遮拦的人常常让朋友感到不安。kǒu wú zhē lán de rén cháng cháng ràng péng yǒu gǎn dào bù ān

A loose-tongued person often makes friends feel uneasy.

Core concept

A mouth without a gate sends speech straight into the room, whether the words belong there or not.

Common phrases

  • 口无遮拦的人kǒu wú zhē lán de rén

    a loose-tongued person

  • 口无遮拦地说话kǒu wú zhē lán dì shuō huà

    talk without restraint

  • 口无遮拦地透露秘密kǒu wú zhē lán dì tòu lù mì mì

    reveal secrets carelessly

Similar words

口不择言kǒu bù zé yán: Using words carelessly without thinking about whether they are suitable.
多嘴多舌duō zuǐ duō shé: Talking too much by joining in and saying more than needed.
言多必失yán duō bì shī: Excessive talking can easily lead to mistakes and other trouble.

Definition in Chinese

说话不注意分寸，容易在不合适的场合或对话中泄露他人隐私或说出不当言论。shuō huà bú zhù yì fēn cùn róng yì zài bù hé shì de chǎng hé huò duì huà zhōng xiè lòu tā rén yǐn sī huò shuō chū bú dàng yán lùn

Word origin

In 口 (kǒu, "mouth") + 无遮拦 (wúzhēlán, "without a barrier"), the mouth has no figurative gate, a concrete image that developed into the idiom's meaning of speaking without proper restraint.

Usage tips

  • Its tone is stronger than a neutral comment that someone talks a lot because it points to poor judgment about what to say and where to say it.

Opposites

Word lists with this word