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口不擇言

简口不择言 · 繁口不擇言

Mandarin · pinyin kǒu bù zé yán

to speak incoherently
to ramble
to talk irresponsibly

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Characters in this entry

口: kǒu · mouth; open end; entrance, gate
不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
擇: Look up this written character
言: yán · words, speech; speak, say; Kangxi radical 149
择: zé · select, choose, pick out

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

3–4–2–2 · kou3 bu4 ze2 yan2

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

口不擇言 · find source passages ↗ · 口不择言 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

hau2 bat1 zaak6 jin4

Cantonese word readings for 口不擇言. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to talk indiscreetly; to talk recklessly

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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