还嘴 (huán zuǐ) — (colloquial) to talk back, to retort (defiantly)

Definition

还嘴 (huán zuǐ) means answering back defiantly — used when a junior retorts to an elder or superior. As a separable verb, 在嘴前加数量词: 还了一句嘴。

verb

(colloquial) to talk backto retort (defiantly)

Examples

，还嘴。
Mā ma pī píng tā de shí hou, tā jū rán gǎn huán zuǐ.
When his mother criticized him, he actually dared to talk back.
，。
Tā gēn lǎo bǎn hái le yí jù zuǐ, jiù bèi kāi chú le.
She retorted once to her boss and got fired.
还嘴。
Lǎo shī shuō huà de shí hou bié huán zuǐ.
Don't talk back when the teacher is speaking.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

还háireturn or reply

嘴zuǐmouth

还 gives 'return or reply', and 嘴 is the mouth; together they mean answering back with the mouth.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 還; 还 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辵辵chuòwalk

Sound part声符shēngfú

睘

睘qióng還hái

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 還 pairs 辵 (walk) with 睘 as a sound part for 'go back; return'; the simplified 还 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 还 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

口觜嘴

Meaning part形符xíngfú

口口kǒu

Sound part声符shēngfú

觜

觜zī嘴

Same sound today

嘴 pairs 口 (mouth) with 觜, which supplies its sound.

Open 嘴 →

Appears in