守口如瓶

Pronunciation: shǒu kǒu rú píng Literal meaning: Guard mouth like bottle

Origin & Usage

To guard (守) the mouth (口) like (如) a stoppered jar (瓶). Zhu Xi paired it with a second clause that is usually quoted alongside — 守口如瓶，防意如城, guard the mouth like a jar and garrison the intentions like a walled city — which puts silence and self-command on the same footing. The image is of a vessel that holds because it is sealed, not because it is empty. Confidences kept earn it, and the compliment is about reliability rather than about discretion in general.

Examples

English: "The trusted advisor never leaked sensitive information"

Chinese: 值得信赖的顾问从不泄露敏感信息