TongTong
Sign in

拌嘴 (bàn zuǐ) — to bicker, to squabble (verbally)

Definition

拌嘴 means to bicker or squabble in words, usually over small everyday matters. It is a separable verb — the object 嘴 can be measured with 次 and inflected, as in 拌了一次嘴.

verb
to bickerto squabble (verbally)

Examples

  • 拌嘴。
    Tā men liǎ jīng cháng wèi xiǎo shì bàn zuǐ.
    The two of them often bicker over small matters.
  • ，。
    Zuó tiān tā men bàn le yí cì zuǐ, jīn tiān jiù hé hǎo le.
    They had a squabble yesterday, but today they're already reconciled.
  • 拌嘴，。
    Bié wèi zhè diǎn r shì bàn zuǐ le, shāng hé qì.
    Don't bicker over such a trivial matter — it'll harm the relationship.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

拌bànstir
嘴zuǐmouth

To 拌 stir the 嘴 mouth suggests bickering.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 拌 →

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kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
觜
觜zī嘴
Same sound today

嘴 pairs 口 (mouth) with 觜, which supplies its sound.

Open 嘴 →
Appears in
Conflict & Agreement

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