文绉绉 (wén zhòu zhòu) — (adj, pejorative) bookish in a pedantic or affe…

Definition

Pejorative adjective for speech or writing that sounds overly bookish and affected — formally refined but unnatural in casual conversation.

adjective

(adj, pejorative) bookish in a pedantic or affected wayoverly refined in speech or manner

文绉绉，。
Tā shuō huà zǒng shì wén zhòu zhòu de, ràng rén tīng zhe bú zì rán.
He always speaks in an overly refined way, which sounds unnatural.
文绉绉，。
Zhè piān wén zhāng xiě dé yǒu diǎn r wén zhòu zhòu, bú xiàng xiàn dài rén xiě de.
This article is written in a rather bookish style, not like something a modern person would write.
文绉绉，。
Bié nà me wén zhòu zhòu de, zán men suí biàn liáo liáo jiù xíng.
Don't be so affectedly refined; let's just chat casually.

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

绉绉

绉zhòu绉zhòu

“文” gives the bookish sense, and “绉绉” adds a vivid, affected air.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The current form 文 shows a man with head, arms, legs, and chest; the tattoo marks on the chest are no longer drawn.

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 縐; 绉 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìsilk

Sound part声符shēngfú

芻

芻chú縐zhòu

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 縐 uses 糸 for silk and 芻 for the sound; the simplified 绉 is a later shorthand.