苦口婆心 (kǔ kǒu pó xīn) — (idiom) to earnestly and patiently persuade or admonish someone with good intentions
Definition
An idiom for earnestly and patiently advising someone, often when they resist. Literally 'bitter mouth, kind heart' — stresses the speaker's good intentions despite the recipient's stubbornness.
idiom
to earnestly and patiently persuade or admonish someone with good intentions
Examples
- 苦口婆心。Mā ma kǔ kǒu pó xīn dì quàn tā bú yào áo yè.Mom earnestly advised him not to stay up late.
- 苦口婆心。Lǎo shī kǔ kǒu pó xīn dì jiào yù xué shēng yào hǎo hǎo xué xí.The teacher patiently urged the students to study hard.
- 苦口婆心,。Wǒ kǔ kǒu pó xīn dì shuō le bàn tiān, tā hái shì bù tīng.I earnestly talked to him for a long time, but he still wouldn't listen.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.