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抠字眼 (kōu zì yǎn) — to nitpick someone's wording; to quibble over phrasing

Definition

'To nitpick wording' — focus on tiny, literal word choices rather than the speaker's overall meaning. Usually carries a slightly negative tone, like 'being pedantic' or 'splitting hairs'.

verb
to nitpick someone's wordingto quibble over phrasing

Examples

  • 抠字眼，。
    Tā zǒng xǐ huan kōu zì yǎn, ràng tǎo lùn méi fǎ jìn xíng.
    He always likes to nitpick wording, making the discussion impossible.
  • ？。
    Nǐ kōu shén me zì yǎn? dà jiā dōu míng bai tā de yì si.
    Why are you nitpicking his words? Everyone understands what he meant.
  • ，。
    Bié kōu zhè xiē zì yǎn le, zhěng tǐ nèi róng gèng zhòng yào.
    Stop nitpicking these words; the overall content is more important.

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