Te Haccho Kuchi Haccho

Today I would like to talk about the Japanese idiom "te haccho kuchi haccho."

This idiom describes a person who does something well and has a smart mouth.

"Te" means "hand", "kuchi" means "mouth", and "haccho" means "eight things", so this idiom literally describes a person who can use eight tools by his/her hands or mouth.

Of course, you can use just "te haccho" for a person who does something well, and just "kuchi haccho" for a person who has a smart mouth, respectively.

This idiom originally used as a good meaning to praise someone, but recently, it is often used sarcastically for an insincere person who just looks a good worker or a good talker.

手八丁口八丁

今日は「手八丁口八丁」という慣用句を紹介します。

「手八丁口八丁」は、「何かをすることも、話すことも達者な人」を表す言葉です。

「手」は "hand"、 「口」は "mouth"、「八丁」は "eight things" を意味し、この慣用句は「手や口で八つの道具を使うことができる」ということが語源になります。

何かをすることが達者な人には「手八丁」、話すことが達者な人には「口八丁」と、それぞれ分けて使うこともできます。

元々は良い意味で誰かを褒める際に使われた言葉ですが、現在では要領の良い人に対して皮肉を込めて使うことが多いです。

• "Te" means "hand", "kuchi" means "mouth", and "haccho" means "eight things", so this idiom literally describes a person who can use eight tools by his/her hands or mouth.
• "Te" means "hand", "kuchi" means "mouth", and "haccho" means "eight things", so this idiom literally describes a person who can use eight tools with his/her hands or mouth.

• Of course, you can use just "te haccho" for a person who does something well, and just "kuchi haccho" for a person who has a smart mouth, respectively.
• Of course, you can say just "te haccho" for a person who does something well, and just "kuchi haccho" for a person who has a smart mouth.

• This idiom originally used as a good meaning to praise someone, but recently, it is often used sarcastically for an insincere person who just looks a good worker or a good talker.
• This idiom was originally used with a good meaning to praise someone, but recently, it is often used sarcastically for an insincere person who just looks like a good worker or a good talker.