数落 (shǔ luò) — to rebuke by enumerating faults; to scold while listing grievances

Definition

数落 (shǔ) means to scold someone while ticking off their faults one by one — the focus is on listing grievances, not just a generic rebuke. Colloquial, everyday tone; common in family and workplace contexts.

verb
to rebuke by enumerating faultsto scold while listing grievances

Examples

  • 数落,、。
    Mā ma yòu shǔ luò wǒ le, shuō wǒ yī fu méi dié hǎo, wǎn yě méi xǐ.
    Mom scolded me again, saying I didn't fold my clothes and didn't wash the dishes.
  • 数落,。
    Nǐ bié zài shǔ luò tā le, tā yǐ jīng zhī dào cuò le.
    Stop scolding him like that — he already knows he was wrong.
  • 数落,。
    Lǐng dǎo zài huì shàng shǔ luò le wǒ men bàn tiān, cóng chí dào dào bào biǎo wèn tí quán jiǎng le yí biàn.
    The boss went on and on at the meeting, listing everything from being late to problems with the report.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

数shùlist faults
落luòblame

数 (list faults) and 落 (blame) together describe reproach.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 數; 数 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
婁
婁lóu數shù(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 數 pairs 攴, the meaning part, with 婁, the sound part; the simplified 数 is a shorthand.

Open 数 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
洛
洛luò落luò
Same sound today

落 pairs 艹 with 洛; 洛 gives the sound, and 艹 relates to the meaning.

Open 落 →

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