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随口 (suí kǒu) — offhandedly, without thinking, casually

Definition

随口 means saying something casually, without thinking it through — so it pairs with speech verbs like 说, 答应, 问, often carrying a hint of regret. It is an adverb placed before the verb.

adverb
offhandedlywithout thinkingcasually

Examples

  • 随口，。
    Tā suí kǒu shuō le yí jù, méi xiǎng dào dà jiā dōu dàng zhēn le.
    He said something offhandedly, and didn't expect everyone to take it seriously.
  • 随口，。
    Bié suí kǒu dā ying bié rén, yào sān sī ér hòu xíng.
    Don't promise others offhandedly; think twice before you act.
  • 随口，。
    Tā suí kǒu pī píng le nà bù diàn yǐng, qí shí gēn běn méi kàn guò.
    She criticized that movie offhandedly, but actually she had never seen it.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

随suífollow
口kǒumouth

随 follow and 口 mouth combine to suggest speech that follows the mouth without thought.

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 隨; 随 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalking
Sound part声符shēngfú
𡐦
𡐦𡐦隨suí
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 隨 pairs 辵 (walking) with 𡐦 (the sound part); the simplified 随 is a later shorthand.

Open 随 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The form 口 looks like an open mouth.

Open 口 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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