A1 Idiom 中性 1分钟阅读

口が堅い

kuchi ga katai

Tight-lipped

开始练习

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

适合你水平的解释：

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.

意思

Someone who is good at keeping secrets.

🌍

文化背景

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.

自我测试

Which phrase means someone is good at keeping secrets?

彼は____。

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案： {口|くち}が{堅|かた}い

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

🎉 得分： /1

视觉学习工具

练习题库

2 练习
选择正确答案 Fill Blank

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案：
Which phrase means someone is good at keeping secrets? Choose A1

彼は____。

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案： {口|くち}が{堅|かた}い

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

🎉 得分： /2

常见问题

1 个问题

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

相关表达

🔗

{口|くち}が{軽|かる}い

contrast

Loose-lipped

在哪里用

🏢

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

记住它

记忆技巧

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

视觉联想

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

挑战

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.

发音

Stress Flat pitch accent.

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

正式程度

正式
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)

中性
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)

非正式
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)

俚语
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:

趣味小知识

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

文化笔记

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。”

对话开场白

“

あなたの友達で{口|くち}が{堅|かた}い人はいますか？

常见错误

✗

{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.

容易混淆

口が堅い 对比 {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.

常见问题 (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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