吃人家的嘴軟，拿人家的手軟

Chinese
 
eat; eradicate; destroy; receive; stammer
 family; household
 
really and truly; aim; clear; (possessive, modifying, or descriptive particle); of
 mouth soft; flexible
 
to hold; to seize; to catch; to apprehend; to take
 family; household
 
really and truly; aim; clear; (possessive, modifying, or descriptive particle); of
 hand; convenient; ‑er soft; flexible
trad. (吃人家的嘴軟，拿人家的手軟) 吃 人家 的 嘴 軟 ， 拿 人家 的 手 軟
simp. (吃人家的嘴软，拿人家的手软) 吃 人家 的 嘴 软 ， 拿 人家 的 手 软

Etymology

Literally, “the mouth that feeds from others is soft; the hand that takes from others is soft [as well]”.

In other words: “When eating dinner given by others, one should have a soft mouth; when taking bribes, one should have a soft hand.”

Pronunciation
  • Mandarin
    (Pinyin): chī rénjia de zuǐ ruǎn, nà rénjia de shǒu ruǎn
    (Zhuyin): ㄔ ㄖㄣˊ ˙ㄐㄧㄚ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄗㄨㄟˇ ㄖㄨㄢˇ, ㄋㄚˋ ㄖㄣˊ ˙ㄐㄧㄚ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄕㄡˇ ㄖㄨㄢˇ
  • Mandarin
    • (Standard Chinese)+
      • Pinyin: chī rénjia de zuǐ ruǎn, nà rénjia de shǒu ruǎn [Phonetic: chīrénjiadezuíruǎn,nàrénjiadeshóuruǎn]
      • Zhuyin: ㄔ ㄖㄣˊ ˙ㄐㄧㄚ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄗㄨㄟˇ ㄖㄨㄢˇ, ㄋㄚˋ ㄖㄣˊ ˙ㄐㄧㄚ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄕㄡˇ ㄖㄨㄢˇ
      • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chy ren.jia .de tzoei roan, nah ren.jia .de shoou roan
      • IPA (key): /ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵ d͡ʑ̥i̯ä³ d̥ə¹ t͡su̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʐu̯än²¹⁴⁻²¹¹ nä⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ d͡ʑ̥i̯ä³ d̥ə¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʐu̯än²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Proverb

吃人家的嘴軟，拿人家的手軟

  1. One may be bound to others because of the things they give you.
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