1.
to always have a comeback; to be quick-tongued; to never be at a loss for words
Describes someone who always has something to say in response, especially excuses or cheeky replies. Usually said with mild exasperation or disapproval about someone who talks back no matter what.
本当に口が減らないやつだ。
He really never shuts up.
叱っても口が減らない子供に手を焼いている。
I'm having trouble with a child who always has a comeback no matter how much I scold them.
あの後輩は口が減らなくて、先輩に注意されても言い訳ばかりしている。
That junior always has a retort — even when a senior warns him, he just makes excuses.
USAGE:
An idiomatic expression with a negative connotation. Used when someone is being criticized or confronted but keeps talking back instead of accepting the criticism. The literal meaning is 'the mouth doesn't decrease' — i.e., they never run out of words.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 口が減らないやつ (a person who always talks back)
- 口が減らない子 (a child who always has something to say)
SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS:
- 口達者: eloquent/smooth-talking — can be neutral or positive, while 口が減らない is always mildly negative
- 減らず口: back talk, cheeky retort — the noun form of the same concept