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Chinese/Dictionary entry

三缄其口

sān jiān qí kǒudictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
(idiom) reluctant to speak about it / tight-lipped
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-611b42b94fb75b3b. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

三緘其口 三缄其口 [san1 jian1 qi2 kou3] /(idiom) reluctant to speak about it/tight-lipped/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 三緘其口

  • 三
    sān

    three / 3

    Sān

    surname San

  • 缄
    jiān

    (wooden) box / cup / letter / letters / to close / to seal

  • 其
    qí

    his / her / its / their / that / such / it (refers to sth preceding it)

  • 口
    kǒu

    mouth / classifier for things with mouths (people, domestic animals, cannons, wells etc) / classifier for bites or mouthfuls

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.