漫无边际 (màn wú biān jì) — boundless, limitless; rambling, straying far from the subject

Definition

Idiom that can mean literally 'boundless, without edge' (sea, grassland) OR, more figuratively, 'rambling and discursive' when applied to speech or thought — i.e. going on without a clear endpoint.

idiom
boundlesslimitlessramblingstraying far from the subject

Examples

  • 漫无边际，。
    Dà hǎi màn wú biān jì, yì yǎn wàng bú dào biān.
    The ocean is boundless, you can't see the edge at a glance.
  • 漫无边际，。
    Tā de jiǎng huà màn wú biān jì, ràng rén zhuā bú zhù zhòng diǎn.
    His speech was rambling, making it hard to grasp the main points.
  • 漫无边际，。
    Tǎo lùn màn wú biān jì, zuì hòu shén me jié lùn dōu méi dé chū lái.
    The discussion was discursive, and in the end no conclusion was reached.

Origin

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
曼
曼màn漫
Same sound today

漫 uses 氵 (water) and 曼 for the sound; 曼 also means “vast, extended,” showing water spread out or overflowing.

Open 漫 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 無; 无 is its simplified writing.

For the simplified 无, the story is about 無. 無 drew a person dancing with ox tails held in both hands to pray for rain, then was borrowed for 'have no', so the picture does not explain that meaning.

Open 无 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 邊; 边 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuòwalking; movement
Sound part声符shēngfú
臱
臱mián邊biān(r)
Same sound today

The traditional form 邊 pairs 辶 (walking; movement) with the sound part 臱; the simplified 边 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original parts.

Open 边 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 際; 际 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
祭
祭jì際⁰jì
Same sound today

The traditional form 際 pairs 阝 with 祭: 阝 gives the meaning and 祭 gives the sound. The simplified 际 is a later shorthand.

Open 际 →

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