A1 Idiom Neutral 1 min de lectura

口が堅い

kuchi ga katai

Tight-lipped

Practícalo

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use this phrase to describe someone who is excellent at keeping secrets and never leaks private information.

  • Means: Someone who does not talk about secrets or private matters easily.
  • Used in: Describing trustworthy friends, colleagues, or professional discretion.
  • Don't confuse: {口|くち}が{軽|かる}い (the opposite: someone who gossips).
Locked mouth 🤐 + Trustworthy person 🤝 = {口|くち}が{堅|かた}い

Explicación a tu nivel:

This phrase means someone is good at keeping secrets. You use it to say a person is trustworthy.
When someone is {口|くち}が{堅|かた}い, they do not tell other people your secrets. It is a positive way to describe a loyal and reliable friend.
This idiom describes a person who possesses the self-control to withhold private information. It is commonly used in professional and social contexts to indicate that someone can be trusted with sensitive data or personal matters.
The phrase functions as a metaphorical descriptor for an individual's discretion. Unlike being merely quiet, it implies an active, intentional effort to protect confidentiality, making it a highly valued trait in both Japanese corporate culture and intimate social circles.
This idiom utilizes the physical metaphor of 'hardness' to represent psychological resilience against the social pressure to disclose information. It serves as a linguistic marker for high-trust individuals, reflecting the cultural premium placed on maintaining confidentiality to preserve social equilibrium.
The expression {口|くち}が{堅|かた}い is a quintessential example of Japanese somatic metaphor, where physical attributes map onto character traits. It encapsulates the cultural imperative of 'honne' (true feelings) versus 'tatemae' (public face), where the ability to gatekeep information is synonymous with social maturity and reliability.

Significado

Someone who is good at keeping secrets.

🌍

Contexto cultural

In Japan, discretion is a sign of maturity.

💡

Context is key

Use this to compliment someone's reliability.

💡

Context is key

Use this to compliment someone's reliability.

Ponte a prueba

Which phrase means someone is good at keeping secrets?

彼は____。

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: {口|くち}が{堅|かた}い

{口|くち}が{堅|かた}い means tight-lipped/discreet.

🎉 Puntuación: /1

Ayudas visuales

Banco de ejercicios

2 ejercicios
Elige la respuesta correcta Fill Blank

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta:
Which phrase means someone is good at keeping secrets? Choose A1

彼は____。

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: {口|くち}が{堅|かた}い

{口|くち}が{堅|かた}い means tight-lipped/discreet.

🎉 Puntuación: /2

Preguntas frecuentes

1 preguntas

Yes, but it sounds a bit boastful. Better to let others say it about you.

Frases relacionadas

🔗

{口|くち}が{軽|かる}い

contrast

Loose-lipped

Dónde usarla

🏢

Office Gossip

A: あの話、誰にも言わないでね。

B: 大丈夫、私は{口|くち}が{堅|かた}いから。

neutral

Memorízalo

Mnemotecnia

Imagine a padlock on someone's mouth. The lock is 'hard' (堅い) to break.

Asociación visual

A person holding a key to their own mouth, smiling confidently because they won't spill the beans.

Story

Tanaka-san has a secret. He tells Sato-san. Sato-san never tells anyone. Tanaka-san says, 'Sato-san is {口|くち}が{堅|かた}い.'

In Other Languages

English: 'Tight-lipped' or 'To keep one's lips sealed'. Spanish: 'Ser una tumba' (to be a tomb).

Word Web

秘密信頼口堅い守る噂

Desafío

Think of three people you know. Label them as {口|くち}が{堅|かた}い or {口|くち}が{軽|かる}い.

Review in 1 day, 3 days, and 1 week.

Pronunciación

Stress Flat pitch accent.

Kuchi (mouth) ga (particle) katai (hard/firm).

Espectro de formalidad

Formal
彼は{口|くち}が{堅|かた}い方でございます。

彼は{口|くち}が{堅|かた}い方でございます。 (Describing a friend's personality)

Neutral
彼は{口|くち}が{堅|かた}いです。

彼は{口|くち}が{堅|かた}いです。 (Describing a friend's personality)

Informal
彼は{口|くち}が{堅|かた}いよ。

彼は{口|くち}が{堅|かた}いよ。 (Describing a friend's personality)

Jerga
あいつ、マジで{口|くち}堅いから。

あいつ、マジで{口|くち}堅いから。 (Describing a friend's personality)

Derived from the concept of a 'firm' mouth that does not open easily.

Edo Period:

Dato curioso

The opposite, {口|くち}が{軽|かる}い, is often used as a warning to others.

Notas culturales

In Japan, discretion is a sign of maturity.

“彼は{口|くち}が{堅|かた}いから信頼できる。”

Inicios de conversación

“

あなたの友達で{口|くち}が{堅|かた}い人はいますか？

Errores comunes

✗

{口|くち}が{固|かた}い

✓

{口|くち}が{堅|かた}い

wrong conjugation
The kanji 固 is for physical hardness (like a rock), while 堅 is for firmness of character or abstract strength.

L1 Interference

0

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

Ser una tumba

Japanese focuses on the mouth's strength; Spanish focuses on the finality of death.

French moderate

Savoir garder un secret

French is literal; Japanese is idiomatic.

German Very Similar

Dicht halten

German focuses on the action of sealing; Japanese focuses on the body part.

Japanese n/a

{口|くち}が{堅|かた}い

N/A

Arabic moderate

كتوم

Arabic uses a descriptive adjective; Japanese uses an idiomatic phrase.

Spotted in the Real World

📺

(2018)

“彼は{口|くち}が{堅|かた}いから安心だよ。”

Discussing who to trust with a crush.

Fácil de confundir

口が堅い vs {口|くち}が{重|おも}い

Often confused with {口|くち}が{堅|かた}い.

{口|くち}が{重|おも}い means someone who doesn't talk much in general, while {口|くち}が{堅|かた}い means they don't leak secrets.

Preguntas frecuentes (1)

Yes, but it sounds a bit boastful. Better to let others say it about you.

usage contexts

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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