見人講人話，見鬼講鬼話

Chinese

		to see; to meet; to appear to see; to meet; to appear; to interview	man; person; people	to talk; speech; to speak to talk; speech; to speak; to tell; to explain	human speech; sensible talk		to see; to meet; to appear to see; to meet; to appear; to interview	ghost; sly; crafty	to talk; speech; to speak to talk; speech; to speak; to tell; to explain	lie; baloney; crazy talk
trad. (見人講人話，見鬼講鬼話)		見	人	講	人話	，	見	鬼	講	鬼話
simp. (见人讲人话，见鬼讲鬼话)		见	人	讲	人话	，	见	鬼	讲	鬼话
Literally: “speaking the language of humans when seeing a human, and speaking the language of devils when seeing a devil”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): jiàn rén jiǎng rénhuà, jiàn guǐ jiǎng guǐhuà

  (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄐㄧㄤˇ ㄖㄣˊ ㄏㄨㄚˋ , ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄍㄨㄟˇ ㄐㄧㄤˇ ㄍㄨㄟˇ ㄏㄨㄚˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): gin³ jan⁴ gong² jan⁴ waa^6-2, gin³ gwai² gong² gwai² waa^6-2

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: jiàn rén jiǎng rénhuà, jiàn guǐ jiǎng guǐhuà [Phonetic: jiànrénjiǎngrénhuà,jiànguíjiángguǐhuà]
    • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄐㄧㄤˇ ㄖㄣˊ ㄏㄨㄚˋ , ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄍㄨㄟˇ ㄐㄧㄤˇ ㄍㄨㄟˇ ㄏㄨㄚˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: jiàn rén jiǎng rénhuà, jiàn guěi jiǎng guěihuà
    • Wade–Giles: chien⁴ jên² chiang³ jên²-hua⁴, chien⁴ kuei³ chiang³ kuei³-hua⁴
    • Yale: jyàn rén jyǎng rén-hwà-, jyàn gwěi jyǎng gwěi-hwà
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jiann ren jeang renhuah, jiann goei jeang goeihuah
    • Palladius: цзянь жэнь цзян жэньхуа, цзянь гуй цзян гуйхуа (czjanʹ žɛnʹ czjan žɛnʹxua, czjanʹ guj czjan gujxua)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ xu̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ ku̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ku̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ä⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: gin³ jan⁴ gong² jan⁴ waa^6-2, gin³ gwai² gong² gwai² waa^6-2
    • Yale: gin yàhn góng yàhn wá, gin gwái góng gwái wá
    • Cantonese Pinyin: gin³ jan⁴ gong² jan⁴ waa^6-2, gin³ gwai² gong² gwai² waa^6-2
    • Guangdong Romanization: gin³ yen⁴ gong² yen⁴ wa^6-2, gin³ guei² gong² guei² wa^6-2
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kiːn³³ jɐn²¹ kɔːŋ³⁵ jɐn²¹ waː²²⁻³⁵ kiːn³³ kʷɐi̯³⁵ kɔːŋ³⁵ kʷɐi̯³⁵ waː²²⁻³⁵/

Proverb

見人講人話，見鬼講鬼話

1. (figurative) to be flexible and know what to say in different situations and to different people; (derogatory) to be crafty and two-faced

Synonyms

• 見人說人話，見鬼說鬼話／见人说人话，见鬼说鬼话 (jiàn rén shuō rénhuà, jiàn guǐ shuō guǐhuà)
• (Min Nan) 食四面風，講五色話／食四面风，讲五色话