扯淡 (chě dàn) — (colloquial) to talk nonsense, to bullshit | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Colloquial, mildly vulgar way to say someone is talking nonsense or bullshitting — stronger and ruder than 说废话. Often used as a verb (别扯淡了) or an adjective (纯属扯淡).

adjective

(colloquial) to talk nonsenseto bullshit

Examples

扯淡，。
Bié chě dàn le, shuō zhèng shì ba.
Stop talking nonsense and get to the point.
，。
Tā zhěng tiān chě shén me dàn, méi rén xìn tā.
He talks all kinds of bullshit all day; nobody believes him.
扯淡，。
Nǐ zhè huà chún shǔ chě dàn, yì diǎn gēn jù dōu méi yǒu.
What you said is pure nonsense — no basis at all.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

扯 pulls and 淡 is bland, together suggesting empty nonsense talk.

Characters in this word

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

手手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

止

止zhǐ扯chě

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

扯 has 手 (hand) and 止; the hand part shows it is about hand actions, while 止 gives the sound.

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

氵炎淡

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

炎

炎yán淡dàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

淡 puts 氵 (water) beside 炎, which gives the sound yán.

Appears in

Communication & Speech

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