拖泥带水 (tuō ní dài shuǐ) — (chengyu) messy, slovenly, muddled (especially of writing, speaking, or acting)

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'messy, muddled, slovenly' — used to criticize writing, speech, or work that drags on without getting to the point.

idiom
(chengyu) messyslovenlymuddled (especially of writing, speaking, or acting)

Examples

  • 拖泥带水，。
    Tā de wén zhāng xiě dé tuō ní dài shuǐ, ràng rén kàn bú xià qù.
    His article is written in a messy way that makes it hard to read.
  • 拖泥带水，。
    Nǐ shuō huà bié tuō ní dài shuǐ de, zhí jiē shuō zhòng diǎn.
    Don't be so muddled when you speak; just get to the point.
  • 拖泥带水，。
    Tā zuò shì zǒng shì tuō ní dài shuǐ, xiào lǜ hěn dī.
    He always does things in a sloppy way, very inefficient.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

拖泥drag mud
拖tuōdrag泥nímud
动宾Verb + object
带水carry water
带dàicarry水shuǐwater
动宾Verb + object

拖泥, dragging mud, and 带水, carrying water, together picture messy, dragging behavior.

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
手手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
它
它tā拖tuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

拖 uses 手 to show an action done with the hand, and 它 to give its sound.

Open 拖 →

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
尼
尼ní泥nì
Same sound today

The left side is 氵, the water part; the right side is 尼, which gives the sound.

Open 泥 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 帶; 带 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 帶 was drawn as a woven belt; the simplified 带 is a later shorthand.

Open 带 →

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

水 is a simple drawing of water flowing.

Open 水 →

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