kǔ苦bitterkǒu口mouthpó婆old womanxīn心heart
To advise earnestly and repeatedly; to give earnest and well-meaning advice.
Literal meaning
bitter (苦) — mouth (口) — old woman (婆) — heart (心)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase describing someone who gives advice with good intentions, even if it is unpleasant to hear.
Examples
Lǎo老shī师kǔ苦kǒu口pó婆xīn心de地quàn劝dǎo导xué学sheng生men们yào要nǔ努lì力xué学xí习。
The teacher earnestly advised the students to study hard.
Fù父mǔ母kǔ苦kǒu口pó婆xīn心de地jiào教dǎo导hái孩zi子zuò做rén人de的dào道lǐ理。
Parents earnestly teach their children the principles of being a good person.
Usage & nuances
Implies sincerity and good intentions, even if the advice is difficult to accept.
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