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嘴甜心苦

Mandarin · pinyin zuǐ tián xīn kǔ

sweet mouth, bitter heart (idiom); insincere flattery

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Characters in this entry

嘴: zuǐ · mouth, lips
甜: tián · sweet, sweetness
心: xīn · heart; mind, intelligence; soul; 5th lunar mansion, determinative star α Scorpii (Antares)
苦: kǔ · bitter; hardship, suffering

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

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Mandarin tones

3–2–1–3 · zui3 tian2 xin1 ku3

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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.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

zeoi2 tim4 sam1 fu2

Cantonese word readings for 嘴甜心苦. 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) Someone who speaks pleasantly while secretly worried, burdened, or suffering.
(idiomatic) Someone who seems kind or flattering outwardly but harbors ill intent or secretly schemes.

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

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