前言不搭后语 (qián yán bú) — incoherent, self-contradictory (of speech or writing)
Definition
A chengyu describing speech or writing where the beginning contradicts the end — what was said first and what follows don't fit together. Use it for people talking nonsense, not for a single factual mistake.
idiom
incoherentself-contradictory (of speech or writing)
Examples
- 前言不搭后语，。Tā shuō huà qián yán bú, méi rén tīng de dǒng.He speaks incoherently; no one can understand him.
- 前言不搭后语，。Zhè piān wén zhāng qián yán bú, xū yào chóng xiě.This article is self-contradictory and needs to be rewritten.
- 前言不搭后语，？Nǐ gāng cái shuō de qián yán bú, dào dǐ xiǎng biǎo dá shén me?What you just said is incoherent — what exactly are you trying to express?
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