口蜜腹劍

See also: 口蜜腹剑

Chinese

	mouth; (a measure word, for people, livestock or utensils)	honey	abdomen; stomach; belly	(double-edged) sword
trad. (口蜜腹劍)	口	蜜	腹	劍
simp. (口蜜腹剑)	口	蜜	腹	剑
Literally: “honey from the mouth, a sword from the belly”.

Etymology

First used for describing Li Linfu, a Tang politician:

李林甫為相，尤忌文學之士，或陽與之善，啖以甘言而陰陷之。世謂李林甫「口有蜜，腹有劍。」 [Literary Chinese, trad.]

李林甫为相，尤忌文学之士，或阳与之善，啖以甘言而阴陷之。世谓李林甫「口有蜜，腹有剑。」 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

From: 1084 CE, Sima Guang, Comprehensive Mirror to Aid in Government

Lǐ Línfǔ wèi xiàng, yóu jì wénxué zhī shì, huò yáng yǔ zhī shàn, dàn yǐ gān yán ér yīn xiàn zhī. Shì wèi Lǐ Línfǔ “kǒu yǒu mì, fù yǒu jiàn.” [Pinyin]

Li Linfu was the Grand Chancellor. He was envious of those people with knowledge. He pretended to be nice to those people, spoke sweet words with them but defamed them secretly. Therefore, Li Linfu was said to be with honey on the mouth but a sword inside his heart.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): kǒumìfùjiàn

(Zhuyin): ㄎㄡˇ ㄇㄧˋ ㄈㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ
Cantonese (Jyutping): hau² mat⁶ fuk¹ gim³

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: kǒumìfùjiàn
  - Zhuyin: ㄎㄡˇ ㄇㄧˋ ㄈㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: kǒumìfùjiàn
  - Wade–Giles: kʻou³-mi⁴-fu⁴-chien⁴
  - Yale: kǒu-mì-fù-jyàn
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: kooumihfuhjiann
  - Palladius: коумифуцзянь (koumifuczjanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mi⁵¹⁻⁵³ fu⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: hau² mat⁶ fuk¹ gim³
  - Yale: háu maht fūk gim
  - Cantonese Pinyin: hau² mat⁹ fuk⁷ gim³
  - Guangdong Romanization: heo² med⁶ fug¹ gim³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɐu̯³⁵ mɐt̚² fʊk̚⁵ kiːm³³/

Idiom

口蜜腹劍

sweet words, but a wicked heart

Synonyms

笑裡藏刀／笑里藏刀 (xiàolǐcángdāo)