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出口成章 (chū kǒu chéng zhāng) — (idiom) eloquent and articulate in speech

Definition

A chengyu praising someone whose every utterance comes out well-formed, meaning 'eloquent and articulate.' Unlike the verb 表述 (to articulate / formulate a specific idea), 出口成章 describes a habitual, admired speaking ability.

idiom
eloquent and articulate in speech

Examples

  • 出口成章，。
    Tā zài yǎn jiǎng zhōng chū kǒu chéng zhāng, guān zhòng dōu tīng dé rù mí le.
    He spoke so eloquently during his speech that the audience was mesmerized.
  • 出口成章，。
    Zhè wèi lǎo shī jiǎng kè chū kǒu chéng zhāng, tóng xué men dōu hěn xǐ huan.
    This teacher lectures so articulately that the students all like him.
  • ，出口成章。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù kǒu cái hǎo, shuō huà chū kǒu chéng zhāng.
    He has had a good way with words since childhood; he speaks eloquently.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Open 出 →

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

The form 口 looks like an open mouth.

Open 口 →

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
戊戊wù
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng成chéng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

成 puts 戊, a weapon, beside 丁, which gives the sound. The weapon part relates to protection, as in the old sense of city walls.

Open 成 →

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

章 shows a chisel piercing a piece of jade in the middle. It originally meant treating jade.

Open 章 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Communication & SpeechIdioms & Set Phrases

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.