口是心非 (kǒu shì xīn fēi)

Character breakdown

• 口 (kǒu) · 3 strokes

  Pictograph of a mouth.

• 是 (shì) · 9 strokes

  Origin unclear. The bottom component 止 represents the sound.

• 心 (xīn) · 4 strokes

  Depicts a heart.

• 非 (Fēi) · 8 strokes

  Depicts two people facing opposite directions.

Usage

他这个人经常口是心非，让人捉摸不透。

He often says one thing and means another, making him hard to read.

Tā zhège rén jīngcháng kǒushìxīnfēi, ràng rén zhuōmō bù tòu.