信口雌黄 — Chinese Idiom
信口雌黄 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to speak carelessly and irresponsibly, making statements without regard for facts; to make unfounded or groundless assertions”.
信口雌黄 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- 信xìn
- 口kǒu
- 雌cí
- 黄huáng
信口雌黄 Character Breakdown
Example Sentence with 信口雌黄
Origin and Story of 信口雌黄
Wang Yan, a renowned 'pure talker' (清谈家) of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, was deeply fond of the philosophies of Laozi and Zhuangzi. He often engaged in discussions about their profound theories. However, his arguments were frequently inconsistent, full of contradictions and logical flaws. When others pointed out his errors or challenged his views, he remained indifferent, often changing his statements offhandedly and without proper consideration. Because of this, people at the time described him as 'having orpiment in his mouth' (口中雌黄), implying he changed his words as easily as correcting errors on paper.
The 'Family Instructions for the Yan Clan' (《颜氏家训》) also contains a similar admonition: 'One should not rashly apply orpiment (i.e., make hasty judgments) before having read all the books under heaven.'
Idioms Related to 信口雌黄
Synonyms of 信口雌黄
Antonyms of 信口雌黄
More idioms starting with 信
- xìn信bù不yóu由zhōng衷insincere words or actions
- xìn信yǐ以wéi为shí实believe something false to be true
- xìn信yǐ以wéi为běn本take trustworthiness as fundamental
- xìn信yǐ以wéi为zhēn真believe something to be true
- xìn信yǐ以chuán传xìn信，，yí疑yǐ以chuán传yí疑transmit credible as credible, doubtful as doubtful
- xìn信shǐ使wǎng往lái来messengers coming and going
- xìn信shǐ使wǎng往huán还Emissaries traveling back and forth
- xìn信jí及tún豚yú鱼Trust extends to even the lowest beings
- xìn信shòu受fèng奉xíng行believe, accept, uphold, and practice
- xìn信kǒu口kāi开hé合talk carelessly or irresponsibly
- xìn信kǒu口kāi开hē呵speak carelessly or thoughtlessly
- xìn信kǒu口kāi开hē喝speak carelessly and irresponsibly
Questions about 信口雌黄
- What does 信口雌黄 mean?
- 信口雌黄 (xìn kǒu cí huáng) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to speak carelessly and irresponsibly, making statements without regard for facts; to make unfounded or groundless assertions”.
- How do you pronounce 信口雌黄?
- 信口雌黄 is pronounced xìn kǒu cí huáng in Mandarin Chinese.
- Where does 信口雌黄 come from?
- 信口雌黄 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
- What is the Chinese definition of 信口雌黄?
- 信：任凭，听任；雌黄：即鸡冠石，黄色矿物，用作颜料。古人用黄纸写字，写错了，用雌黄涂抹后改写。比喻不顾事实，随口乱说。