# How to say “suck-up” in Chinese

> The mildest way to say “suck-up” in Chinese is 嘴甜 (zuǐ tián), “sweet-talker (lit. sweet mouth)”. The strongest is 狗腿子 (gǒu tuǐ zi), “lackey (lit. dog's leg)”. Here are all 5, ranked mild to strong, with pinyin and when to use each one.

Source: https://lanlanchinese.com/how-to-say/suck-up-in-chinese (updated 2026-10-18)

1. **嘴甜** (zuǐ tián) (strength 1/5): sweet-talker (lit. sweet mouth). A compliment. Grandmas love it.
   Heard in a real video: 嘴甜的大雄。 "Sweet-talking Nobita." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqqj4VqvIoI&t=0s)
2. **会说话** (huì shuō huà) (strength 2/5): knows what to say. Smooth, maybe a little too smooth.
   Heard in a real video: 大雄，你真会说话， "Nobita, you're so smooth, Auntie's so happy." (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqqj4VqvIoI&t=7s)
3. **拍马屁** (pāi mǎ pì) (strength 3/5): to suck up (lit. pat the horse's butt). The office classic.
4. **马屁精** (mǎ pì jīng) (strength 4/5): suck-up (lit. horse-butt spirit). Agrees with the boss before the boss finishes.
5. **狗腿子** (gǒu tuǐ zi) (strength 5/5): lackey (lit. dog's leg). Runs every errand, no questions asked.

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