口くち先さき

く

ち

さ

き

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

lip service; mere words; empty talk

Refers to words that sound good but lack sincerity or real intention; often used in phrases like 口先だけ or 口先ばかり.

彼かれの謝しゃ罪ざいは口くち先さきだけだった。
His apology was just lip service.
口くち先さきばかりで行こう動どうが伴ともなわない。
He's all talk and no action.

noun

lips; mouth; snout

Literal reference to the area around the mouth or the lips themselves; can also refer to an animal's snout or proboscis.

赤あかちゃんが口くち先さきをとがらせている。
The baby is puckering its lips.
犬いぬが口くち先さきでドアを押おし開あけた。
The dog pushed the door open with its snout.

See all 29 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

口くち先さきで〈人ひと〉をだますto deceive someone with sweet talk
彼かれは口くち先さきで客きゃくをだました。
He deceived the customer with sweet talk.
口くち先さきを尖とがらせるto pucker one's lips (in a pout)
子こ供どもは口くち先さきを尖とがらせて不ふ満まんそうだった。
The child pouted, looking dissatisfied.
口くち先さきがうまいto be glib-tongued, good with words
彼かれは口くち先さきがうまくて、すぐに人ひとを信しんじさせる。
He's so smooth-talking that he quickly makes people believe him.
口くち先さきばかりで〈動どう詞し〉to only talk without actually doing anything
彼かれは口くち先さきばかりで、実じっ際さいには何なにもしない。
He's all talk and never actually does anything.
口くち先さきで丸まるめ込こむto talk someone into something with slick words
彼かの女じょは口くち先さきで上じょう司しを丸まるめ込こんだ。
She talked her boss into it with slick words.

Expressions

口くち先さきだけall talk; insincere; empty words

Kanji

口mouth
先before, ahead, previous

Related words

唇くちびるN3sense 2
唇 refers literally to the lips as a body part, while 口先 can mean the same physical area but more often carries a figurative sense of insincere words.
口くちN5sense 2
口 is the general word for 'mouth'; 口先 specifically refers to the lips or the front part of the mouth, or metaphorically to insincere speech.
お世せ辞じN2sense 1
お世辞 specifically means flattery or compliments meant to please, whereas 口先 broadly refers to any insincere or empty talk, not necessarily complimentary.
美び辞じ麗れい句く
口先 emphasizes a speaker's superficial or insincere talk, while 美辞麗句 emphasizes the ornate, flowery language itself.

Opposites

本ほん音ねN2sense 1
本音 refers to one's genuine feelings or true intentions, in contrast to 口先, which describes superficial words that may not reflect what one really thinks.
心こころからN3
口先で言う describes empty, insincere words from the lips only, the opposite of the genuine feeling expressed by 心から.

Don't confuse with

舌した先さき sense 1
舌先 literally means the tip of the tongue and, like 口先, can figuratively describe glib or persuasive talk, but 舌先 emphasizes clever wording while 口先 emphasizes insincerity.

Word family

口くち先さき三さん寸ずん
glib tongue; deceptive eloquence
口くち先さき介かい入にゅう
verbal intervention
口くち先さきのうまい
smooth-talking; glib; honey-tongued

Built from

口くち+先さき

Written forms

口くち先さきUsage97%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency form in news and general use.
口くちさきUsage3%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not a standard written variant.

Etymology

Compound of 口 (kuchi, 'mouth') and 先 (saki, 'tip' or 'front'), literally 'mouth tip'. The figurative sense of 'lip service' developed from the idea of words that only come from the front of the mouth without deeper feeling.