粘粘糊糊 (nián nián hū hū) — slow and dawdling; plodding; sticky, gluey (like molasses)

Definition

Reduplicated adjective describing a sticky/gooey texture OR a slow, dawdling manner of acting. The two senses are linked by the image of something thick and hard to get moving.

bound form
slow and dawdlingploddingstickygluey (like molasses)

Examples

  • 粘粘糊糊，。
    Tā zuò shì zǒng shì nián nián hū hū de, yì diǎn xiào lǜ yě méi yǒu.
    He always does things slowly and dawdles, without any efficiency.
  • 粘粘糊糊，。
    Zhè ge jiàng zuò dé nián nián hū hū de, nián zài guō shàng hěn nán xǐ.
    This sauce turned out sticky and thick, clinging to the pan and hard to wash off.
  • 粘粘糊糊，，！
    Bié nà me nián nián hū hū de, kuài diǎn zǒu, yào chí dào le!
    Don't be so slow and dawdling; hurry up, we're going to be late!

Origin

Reduplicated word
构词法gòucífǎ
重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

粘粘sticky
粘niánsticky粘niánsticky
糊糊paste-like
糊húpaste-like糊húpaste-like

粘 'sticky' and 糊 'paste-like' are doubled for a vivid sticky, dawdling sense.

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn粘zhān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

粘 pairs 米 (rice) with 占, which gives the sound. The 米 part is the rice in glutinous, sticky rice.

Open 粘 →

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
占
占zhàn粘zhān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

粘 pairs 米 (rice) with 占, which gives the sound. The 米 part is the rice in glutinous, sticky rice.

Open 粘 →

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
胡
胡hú糊hú
Same sound today

糊 pairs 米 (rice) with 胡 (hú), which gives the sound. The 米 part relates to the meaning.

Open 糊 →

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
胡
胡hú糊hú
Same sound today

糊 pairs 米 (rice) with 胡 (hú), which gives the sound. The 米 part relates to the meaning.

Open 糊 →

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