陰口

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 陰口 (かげぐち) is a noun for backbiting or negative gossip about someone who is not present.
• Basic usage: 陰口を言う means to speak badly behind someone's back, while 陰口を気にしない means not to be troubled by such talk.
  • 本人のいない所で陰口を言うのはやめよう。 — Let's stop speaking badly about people behind their backs.
  • 彼女は陰口を気にせず自分の仕事を続けた。 — She ignored the gossip and continued her work.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Negative talk behind someone's back
  • 陰口 is not neutral conversation. It includes the negative sense of criticizing a person while that person is absent.