Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
口八丁 (くちはっちょう) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Meanings 1
noun
smooth talker ; glib ; eloquent
Often implies a person who is quick with words, sometimes with a negative nuance of being too smooth or talkative. Commonly used in the phrase 口八丁手八丁 (くちはっちょうてはっちょう), meaning someone who is both a smooth talker and handy with their hands.
口くち 八はっ 丁ちょう 手て 八はっ 丁ちょう の 彼かれ は 、 営えい 業ぎょう 成せい 績せき が トップ だ 。
He's both a smooth talker and a skilled worker, and his sales performance is top.
Kanji 八 eight, eight radical (no. 12) Similar words 口くち 達だっ 者しゃ 口達者 also means eloquent or talkative, but 口八丁 often carries a stronger nuance of being glib or slick, and is frequently paired with 手八丁.
能のう 弁べん 能弁 is a more formal term for eloquence, without the negative or colloquial nuance of 口八丁.
Etymology 口 (mouth) + 八丁 (eight tools/skills), literally 'eight tools of the mouth', suggesting a person whose mouth is as skilled as having many tools. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is often used in the set phrase 口八丁手八丁.
