吃人家的嘴軟，拿人家的手軟

See also: 吃人家的嘴软，拿人家的手软

Chinese

		eat; eradicate; destroy eat; eradicate; destroy; receive; stammer	family; household; dwelling	really and truly; aim; clear really and truly; aim; clear; (possessive, modifying, or descriptive particle); of	mouth	soft; flexible		to hold; to seize; to catch to hold; to seize; to catch; to apprehend; to take	family; household; dwelling	really and truly; aim; clear 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)⁺
    • Hanyu 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
    • Tongyong Pinyin: chih rénjiå de̊ zuěi ruǎn, nà rénjiå de̊ shǒu ruǎn
    • Wade–Giles: chʻih¹ jên²-chia⁵ tê⁵ tsui³ juan³, na⁴ jên²-chia⁵ tê⁵ shou³ juan³
    • Yale: chr̄ rén-jya de dzwěi rwǎn-, nà rén-jya de shǒu rwǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chy ren.jia .de tzoei roan, nah ren.jia .de shoou roan
    • Palladius: чи жэньцзя дэ цзуй жуань, на жэньцзя дэ шоу жуань (či žɛnʹczja dɛ czuj žuanʹ, na žɛnʹczja dɛ šou žuanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵ d͡ʑ̥i̯ä³ d̥ə¹ t͡su̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʐu̯än²¹⁴⁻²¹ 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.

Synonyms

• 吃人嘴軟，拿人手短 / 吃人嘴软，拿人手短