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Chinese/Dictionary entry

只说不做

zhǐ shuō bù zuòdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
to be all talk and no action
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-6f0d2c5304b1d2f7. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

只說不做 只说不做 [zhi3 shuo1 bu4 zuo4] /to be all talk and no action/

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: 只說不做

  • 只
    zhī

    grain that has begun to ripen / classifier for birds and certain animals, one of a pair, some utensils, vessels etc

    zhǐ

    only / merely / just

  • 说
    shuì

    to persuade

    shuō

    to speak / to talk / to say / to explain / to comment / to scold / to tell off / (bound form) theory / doctrine

  • 不
    bù

    no / not so / (bound form) not / un-

  • 做
    zuò

    to make / to produce / to write / to compose / to do / to engage in / to hold (a party etc) / (of a person) to be (an intermediary, a good student etc) / to become (husband and wife, friends etc) / (of a thing) to serve as / to be used for / to assume (an air or manner)

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.