嘴快 (zuǐ kuài) — to have a loose tongue, to be quick to blurt th… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Describes someone quick to speak without thinking — letting secrets or private plans slip out. Used as a mild criticism of a person's habit, not a single action.

verb

to have a loose tongueto be quick to blurt things out

Examples

嘴快，。
Tā zuǐ kuài, shén me mì mì dōu cáng bú zhù.
He has a loose tongue — he can't keep any secret.
嘴快，。
Tā zuǐ kuài, bù xiǎo xīn bǎ jì huà shuō chū qù le.
She blurted it out and accidentally let the plan slip.
嘴快，。
Nǐ zuǐ kuài de máo bìng dé gǎi gǎi, bié shén me dōu wǎng wài shuō.
You need to fix your loose-tongue habit — don't just say everything out loud.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

主谓zhǔwèiSubject + predicate

A small sentence frozen into a word: something, and what it does or is.

嘴 (mouth) and 快 (quick) describe a mouth that is quick to speak, hence a loose tongue.

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.

口觜嘴

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

觜

觜zī嘴

Same sound today

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

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

忄夬快

Meaning part形符xíngfú

忄Written in full as心xīn

Sound part声符shēngfú

夬

夬guài快kuài

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

快 pairs the left part 忄 (full form 心, the heart) with the right part 夬, which gives the sound.

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