祸从口出 Disaster comes from the mouth
Explanation
指因言行不慎而招致灾祸。
Refers to incurring misfortune due to careless words or actions.
Origin Story
从前,有一个名叫张三的年轻人,他性格急躁,说话做事从来不考虑后果。一天,他和邻居李四因为一件小事发生争执,张三气愤之下,口出恶言,侮辱了李四。李四忍无可忍,将张三告上了衙门。官府审理后,判张三赔偿李四损失,并责令其公开道歉。张三后悔莫及,这才明白祸从口出的道理。从此以后,张三变得谨慎小心,说话做事都三思而后行,再也没有惹出什么麻烦。
Once upon a time, there was a young man named Zhang San who was quick-tempered and never considered the consequences of his words and actions. One day, he got into an argument with his neighbor Li Si over a trivial matter, and in anger, Zhang San insulted Li Si with harsh words. Li Si couldn't take it anymore and took Zhang San to court. After the trial, the court ordered Zhang San to compensate Li Si for his losses and to publicly apologize. Zhang San deeply regretted his actions and understood the meaning of the idiom "祸从口出." From that day on, he became cautious and careful in his words and actions, always thinking twice before speaking or acting, and never caused any more trouble.
Usage
多用于劝诫他人说话要谨慎,避免因言行不当而招致祸患。
It is often used to warn others to be cautious in their speech and to avoid causing trouble due to inappropriate words or actions.
Examples
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祸从口出,病从口入,平时说话一定要谨慎。
huò cóng kǒu chū, bìng cóng kǒu rù, píngshí shuōhuà yīdìng yào jǐnshèn
Trouble comes from the mouth, disease comes from the mouth. Be cautious when speaking.
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他这次的失败,完全是祸从口出,早知如此,何必当初呢?
tā zhè cì de shībài, wánquán shì huò cóng kǒu chū, zǎo zhī rúcǐ, hébì dāngchū ne
His failure this time was entirely due to careless words. If only he had known!