脱口而出 tuō kǒu ér chū blurt out

Explanation

指不经思考，随口说出的话。可以形容说话不慎重，也可以形容反应快，能迅速回答问题。

Refers to words spoken without thinking, spontaneously. It can describe careless speech or quick reactions and the ability to answer quickly.

Origin Story

话说唐朝有个才子叫李白，他诗才横溢，常常酒酣耳热之际，妙语连珠，诗句脱口而出。一天，他与友人畅饮，席间友人出上联：‘日照香炉生紫烟’，李白不假思索，立即对出下联：‘遥看瀑布挂前川’。众人拍案叫绝，赞叹他的才华。这便是他脱口而出的经典之作。

huà shuō táng cháo yǒu gè cáizi jiào lǐ bái, tā shī cái héng yì, cháng cháng jiǔ hān ěr rè zhī jì, miào yǔ lián zhū, shī jù tuō kǒu ér chū. yī tiān, tā yǔ yǒurén chàng yǐn, xí jiān yǒurén chū shàng lián: ‘rì zhào xiāng lú shēng zǐ yān’，lǐ bái bù jiǎ sī suǒ, lì jí duì chū xià lián: ‘yáo kàn pù bù guà qián chuān’。zhòng rén pāi àn jiào jué, zàn tàn tā de cái huá. zhè biàn shì tā tuō kǒu ér chū de jīng diǎn zhī zuò.

It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, there was a scholar named Li Bai, who had an extraordinary talent for poetry. Often, when he was drunk, brilliant words and poems would gush out of him. One day, while drinking with friends, a friend gave an upper couplet: 'Sunshine on the incense burner, purple smoke arises.' Li Bai, without hesitation, immediately countered with the lower couplet: 'Distantly I see waterfalls hanging before the river.' Everyone applauded, praising his talent. This is one of his classic works that came out spontaneously.

Usage

主要用于形容说话速度快，反应敏捷，或者说话不加思索。

zhǔyào yòng yú xiáoshù huà shuō sùdù kuài, fǎnyìng mǐnjié, huòzhě shuō huà bùjiā sīsuǒ

Mainly used to describe the speed of speech, responsiveness, or unthinking speech.

Examples

• 他脱口而出地背诵了整首诗。

  tā tuō kǒu ér chū de bèisòng le zhěng shǒu shī

  He recited the whole poem off the cuff.

• 看到这一幕，我不禁脱口而出：‘太美了！’

  kàndào zhè yìmù, wǒ bù jīn tuō kǒu ér chū: 'tài měi le!'

  Seeing this scene, I blurted out: 'So beautiful!'

Related Idioms

• 信口开河

• 口若悬河

Opposite Idioms

• 三缄其口

• 默不作声