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口舌 (kǒu shé) — (noun) quarrel, dispute (a verbal conflict); (noun) effort spent in persuasion or argument (often in the phrase 费口舌)

Definition

Literary noun for verbal conflict or wasted words in an argument, almost always used in set phrases like 费口舌 ('waste one's breath') rather than on its own.

noun
quarreldispute (a verbal conflict)effort spent in persuasion or argument (often in the phrase 费口舌)

Examples

  • 口舌。
    Tā men wèi nà jiàn shì qǐ le kǒu shé.
    They had a quarrel over that matter.
  • 口舌，。
    Bié bái fèi kǒu shé le, tā bú huì tīng de.
    Don't waste your breath; he won't listen.
  • 口舌。
    Zhè chǎng kǒu shé zhī zhēng háo wú yì yì.
    This verbal dispute is meaningless.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

口kǒumouth
舌shétongue

口 means mouth, 舌 means tongue, together referring to verbal quarrels.

Characters in this word

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 →

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

舌 was drawn as a snake's forked tongue rising from an open mouth.

Open 舌 →
Appears in
Conflict & Agreement

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