Definition
嚼舌 is a colloquial verb-object compound (离合词) meaning 'to gossip' or 'to argue pointlessly' — it carries a dismissive or disapproving tone. The verb 嚼 'chew' and the noun 舌 'tongue' can be separated: you can insert a subject, measure word, or time phrase between them (e.g. 嚼什么舌 'what tongue are you chewing?' = 'what gossip are you spreading?', 嚼了半天舌 'chewed tongue for half a day' = 'argued endlessly'). This word is typical of informal speech and carries a negative connotation.
v.o.
to gossipto spread rumorsto argue meaninglessly or engage in pointless debate
Examples
- 嚼舌，。Tā zǒng xǐhuan zài bèihòu jiáo, dàjiā dōu bù xǐhuan tā.She always likes to gossip behind people's backs, and nobody likes her.
- ？。Nǐ jiáo shénme shé? Wǒ gēnběn méi shuō guò nà zhǒng huà.What are you gossiping about? I never said that kind of thing.
- ，。Tāmen wèi zhège wèntí jiáo le bàntiān shé, háishì méi jiéguǒ.They argued endlessly about this problem for ages and still got no result.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.