直言贾祸 — “Frank words invite disaster”
直言贾祸 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to suffer trouble or bring disaster upon oneself due to frank or outspoken speech; frank criticism can lead to negative consequences”. Literally, “Frank words invite disaster”.
直言贾祸 Pronunciation and Pinyin
直言贾祸 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 直言贾祸
Origin and Story of 直言贾祸
During the Spring and Autumn period, Bo Zong, a minister of the State of Jin, was known for his upright and frank character. He dared to speak his mind and was not afraid to offend powerful figures. His wife would often remind him, before he went to court, to avoid speaking too directly, lest his frank words bring him misfortune.
Duke Li of Jin was an incompetent and cruel ruler who favored sycophants. He resented Bo Zong's honesty, listened to malicious slanders, and eventually had Bo Zong executed.
Idioms Related to 直言贾祸
Synonyms of 直言贾祸
Antonyms of 直言贾祸
More idioms starting with 直
- zhí直shàng上zhí直xià下straight up and down
- zhí直shàng上qīng青yún云meteoric rise to high position
- zhí直rù入yún云xiāo霄soaring high into the sky
- zhí直rù入gōng公táng堂Speak directly and frankly
- zhí直nèi内fāng方wài外upright in spirit and principled in conduct
- zhí直chōng冲héng横zhuàng撞crash about wildly and recklessly
- zhí直kǒu口wú无yán言rendered speechless
- zhí直tǔ吐xiōng胸huái怀speak one's mind frankly
- zhí直zhuàng壮qū曲lǎo老Righteous strong, wrong dispirited
- zhí直rú如xián弦upright and principled
- zhí直dài待yǔ雨lín淋tóu头wait until rain pours on one's head
- zhí直xìng性xiá狭zhōng中straightforward but narrow-minded
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Open the tool →Questions about 直言贾祸
What does 直言贾祸 mean?
直言贾祸 (zhí yán gǔ huò) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to suffer trouble or bring disaster upon oneself due to frank or outspoken speech; frank criticism can lead to negative consequences”.
How do you pronounce 直言贾祸?
直言贾祸 is pronounced zhí yán gǔ huò in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 直言贾祸 literally mean?
Literally, 直言贾祸 means “Frank words invite disaster”. It is used to mean “to suffer trouble or bring disaster upon oneself due to frank or outspoken speech; frank criticism can lead to negative consequences”.
Where does 直言贾祸 come from?
直言贾祸 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to the modern era. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 直言贾祸?
直：坦率、直爽；贾：买，引伸为招致。指说话坦率的人会惹祸。