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空口无凭 (kōng kǒu wú píng) — (idiom) a mere verbal statement is no guarantee; oral promises lack proof; words alone are not enough

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'spoken words alone are no proof.' Use it to insist on written evidence (a contract, receipt, IOU) when someone makes a verbal promise.

idiom
a mere verbal statement is no guaranteeoral promises lack proofwords alone are not enough

Examples

  • 空口无凭，。
    kōng kǒu wú píng, Wǒ men hái shì qiān gè hé tong ba.
    Words alone are no guarantee — let's just sign a contract.
  • ，空口无凭，。
    Tā shuō huì hái qián, dàn kōng kǒu wú píng, nǐ dé ràng tā xiě qiàn tiáo.
    He says he'll pay back the money, but oral promises aren't proof — you need to have him write an IOU.
  • 空口无凭，，。
    kōng kǒu wú píng, Méi yǒu shū miàn de zhèng jù, fǎ yuàn bú huì cǎi nà.
    Words alone are no proof — without written evidence, the court won't accept it.

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