noun
eloquent tongue; silver tongue
Idiomatic expression referring to a persuasive or eloquent speaker. Literally 'a three-inch tongue', it emphasizes that a small tongue can have great power.
彼は三寸の舌で大勢の人を説得した。
He persuaded many people with his eloquent tongue.
The phrase 三寸の舌 (three-inch tongue) is a classical Chinese-derived idiom (故事成語) emphasizing that a small tongue can wield great influence through speech. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it appears in ancient Chinese texts as a metaphor for eloquence.