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巧言令色

Mandarin · pinyin qiǎo yán lìng sè

to be glib in one's speech and wear an ingratiating expression (idiom)

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Characters in this entry

巧: qiǎo · skillful, ingenious, clever
言: yán · words, speech; speak, say; Kangxi radical 149
令: lìng · command, order; 'commandant', magistrate; allow, cause
色: sè · color, tint, hue, shade; form, body; beauty, desire for beauty; Kangxi radical 139

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Mandarin tones

3–2–4–4 · qiao3 yan2 ling4 se4

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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) with flourishing words and friendly countenance; with insincere courtesy

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

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