khẩu Phật tâm xà
adjective
Hanoi [xəw˧˩ fət̚˧˨ʔ təm˧˧ saː˨˩]Huế [kʰəw˧˨ fək̚˨˩ʔ təm˧˧ saː˦˩]Saigon [kʰəw˨˩˦ fək̚˨˩˨ təm˧˧ saː˨˩] browser voice
Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →
khẩu Phật tâm xà means hypocritical; wolf in sheep's clothing.
Meanings of khẩu Phật tâm xà in English
Adjective
- hypocritical, wolf in sheep's clothing, speaking virtuously but hiding selfish intentions
- kẻ khẩu Phật tâm xàa hypocrite
Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)
Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, khẩu Phật tâm xà could be written as 口佛心蛇. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.
Etymology
Sino-Vietnamese word from 口 (“mouth”), 佛 (“Buddha”), 心 (“heart”) and 蛇 (“snake”), compare 佛口蛇心 (Phật khẩu xà tâm).
Frequently asked questions
What does khẩu Phật tâm xà mean in English?
khẩu Phật tâm xà (adjective) means "hypocritical; wolf in sheep's clothing".
How do you pronounce khẩu Phật tâm xà?
IPA: Hanoi [xəw˧˩ fət̚˧˨ʔ təm˧˧ saː˨˩]; Saigon [kʰəw˨˩˦ fək̚˨˩˨ təm˧˧ saː˨˩]. Tones: khẩu — dipping tone (hỏi), phật — heavy tone (nặng), tâm — level tone (ngang), xà — falling tone (huyền).