刀子嘴豆腐心，吃软不吃硬刀子嘴豆腐心，吃軟不吃硬刀子嘴豆腐心，吃軟不吃硬

a knife mouth and a tofu heart: takes the soft, not the hard

Saying俗语俗語

Two-part saying歇后语歇後語 · Widely known

Meaning: Describes someone who speaks sharply but is kind at heart, and responds to gentleness rather than force. Mostly approving.
Wordplay: 软 (ruǎn) means both soft in texture and gentle or weak; 硬 (yìng) means both hard and tough or forceful.

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Simplified: 刀子嘴豆腐心，吃软不吃硬
Traditional (Taiwan): 刀子嘴豆腐心，吃軟不吃硬
Pinyin: dāozizuǐdòufuxīn, chīruǎnbùchīyìng
Bopomofo: ㄉㄠ ˙ㄗㄗㄨㄟˇ ㄉㄡˋ ˙ㄈㄨㄒㄧㄣ，ㄔㄖㄨㄢˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄧㄥˋ

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