味同嚼蜡 (wèi tóng jiáo là) — (idiom) insipid, tasteless, dull — like chewing wax

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'tasteless as chewing wax' — used to describe writing, speeches, or meetings that are utterly boring and flat. Much stronger than plain 无聊.

idiom
insipidtastelessdull — like chewing wax

Examples

  • ，味同嚼蜡。
    Zhè běn shū nèi róng kū zào, dú qǐ lái wèi tóng jiáo là.
    This book's content is dry; reading it is like chewing wax.
  • 味同嚼蜡，。
    Tā de yǎn jiǎng wèi tóng jiáo là, tīng zhòng dōu kuài shuì zháo le.
    His speech was so insipid the audience almost fell asleep.
  • 味同嚼蜡，。
    Nà zhǒng huì yì wèi tóng jiáo là, wǒ měi cì dōu xiǎng tí qián lí kāi.
    That kind of meeting is like chewing wax — I always want to leave early.

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
未
未wèi味wèi
Same sound today

味 combines 口 (mouth) with 未, which gives the sound wèi; the mouth part relates to taste.

Open 味 →

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

同 originally drew a pipe. It is the old form of 筒.

Open 同 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
爵
爵jué嚼jiáo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

嚼 pairs 口 (mouth) with 爵, which gives the sound.

Open 嚼 →

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 蠟; 蜡 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
虫虫chónginsect
Sound part声符shēngfú
巤
巤liè蠟là
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 蠟 has 虫 (insect) and 巤 (sound); the simplified 蜡 is a shorthand.

Open 蜡 →

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