- English translation
The mouth is a fool.
- Literal wording
The mouth is foolish.
- Meaning and lesson
This proverb says that a smile or laugh does not reliably reveal a person’s inner state. Someone who is sad or troubled may still be briefly amused, and that moment does not show that their distress has ended.
It cautions against judging what is in the heart from what appears on the face. Here the phrase about the mouth being “foolish” is not simply an insult to a foolish person, but a comment on the mismatch between outward expression and hidden feeling.
- When it is used
Use it when a troubled person laughs, smiles, or appears cheerful for a moment and others take that as proof they are no longer sad. It warns against reading someone’s emotional condition solely from their visible expression.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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