How do you pronounce 口蜜腹剑?

口蜜腹剑 is pronounced as "kǒu mì fù jiàn" in Mandarin Chinese.

口蜜腹剑

Q: What does 口蜜腹剑 mean?

口蜜腹剑 (kǒu mì fù jiàn) literally means "Mouth honey belly sword" and metaphorically means "Hide evil behind sweet words". It belongs to the Life Philosophy category of Chinese idioms.

Q: When is 口蜜腹剑 used?

口蜜腹剑 is used when The consultant's flattering advice concealed his ulterior motives.

口蜜腹剑 (kǒu mì fù jiàn) literally means “mouth honey belly sword” and expresses “hide evil behind sweet words”. This idiom is used when describing situations involving life philosophy.

Also searched as: kou mi fu jian, kou mi fu jian,口蜜腹剑 meaning, 口蜜腹剑 in english

Hide evil behind sweet words

Pronunciation: kǒu mì fù jiàn Literal meaning: Mouth honey belly sword

Origin & Usage

Li Linfu ran the Tang court for nineteen years by agreeing warmly with everyone and destroying them afterwards. The Comprehensive Mirror records the verdict of his contemporaries: Li Linfu has honey (蜜) in his mouth (口) and a sword (剑) in his belly (腹). The organs are not decorative — Chinese physiology puts intention in the abdomen, so the phrase locates the sweetness on the surface and the weapon where the person actually lives. It is a severe thing to say.

Examples

English: "The consultant's flattering advice concealed his ulterior motives"

Chinese: 顾问奉承的建议掩盖了他的别有用心

Related Chinese Idioms

Similar idioms about life philosophy

笑里藏刀

xiào lǐ cáng dāo

Hide malice behind smile

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狐狸尾巴

hú li wěi ba

True nature eventually revealed

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众口铄金

zhòng kǒu shuò jīn

Repeated by enough people, a falsehood passes for truth

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剑拔弩张

jiàn bá nǔ zhāng

Tense confrontation

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纸醉金迷

zhǐ zuì jīn mí

Decadent luxury lifestyle

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冷冷清清

lěng lěng qīng qīng

Deserted and lifeless atmosphere

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刻舟求剑

kè zhōu qiú jiàn

Using outdated methods foolishly

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推心置腹

tuī xīn zhì fù

Speak from the heart; confide completely

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does 口蜜腹剑 mean in English?

口蜜腹剑 (kǒu mì fù jiàn) literally translates to “Mouth honey belly sword” and is used to express “Hide evil behind sweet words”. This Chinese idiom belongs to the Life Philosophy category.