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念叨 (niàn dao) — to talk about someone often (out of fondness or concern); to keep complaining or nagging about something

Definition

A separable verb meaning to talk about something repeatedly — often to show you miss or care about someone/something. Contrast with the more neutral 讨论 (formal discuss) or 商量 (discuss/decide together); 念叨 carries an emotional, repetitive edge.

verb
to talk about someone often (out of fondness or concern)to keep complaining or nagging about something

Examples

  • 念叨，。
    Nǎi nai zǒng niàn dao nǐ, shuō hǎo jiǔ méi jiàn dào nǐ le.
    Grandma is always talking about you, saying she hasn't seen you in a long time.
  • 念叨，？
    Nǐ bié lǎo niàn dao nà jiàn shì le, fán bù fán a?
    Don't keep nagging about that thing — aren't you annoying?
  • 念叨。
    Zán men jǐ gè zài niàn dao yí xià míng tiān de jì huà ba.
    Let's talk over tomorrow's plan a bit more among ourselves.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

念niànthink of
叨dāotalk

念 and 叨 both involve speaking or thinking of something, so together they mean to keep talking about it.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

念 combines 今, an upside-down mouth, with 心, the heart, to listen to one's heart.

Open 念 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
刀
刀dāo叨dāo
Same sound today

叨 combines 口, the mouth part, with 刀, the sound part.

Open 叨 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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