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泼冷水 (pō lěng shuǐ) — to dampen someone's enthusiasm, to discourage (by criticism or negativity)

Definition

An idiom meaning to dampen someone's enthusiasm, usually with words (not actions). 打击 can be physical or a general hit to morale; 泼冷水 is specifically verbal discouragement that kills excitement.

phrase
to dampen someone's enthusiasmto discourage (by criticism or negativity)

Examples

  • 泼冷水，。
    Bié zǒng shì gěi bié rén de jì huà pō lěng shuǐ, duō gǔ lì yí xià.
    Don't always pour cold water on other people's plans; encourage them more.
  • ，泼冷水。
    Tā měi cì dōu hěn rè qíng, dàn zǒng yǒu rén duì tā pō lěng shuǐ.
    He is always enthusiastic, but there's always someone pouring cold water on him.
  • ，泼冷水。
    Wǒ zhī dào zhè ge xiǎng fǎ bù wán měi, dàn nǐ yě bié pō lěng shuǐ a.
    I know this idea isn't perfect, but don't pour cold water on it either.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

泼pōsplash/pour
冷水cold water
冷lěngcold水shuǐwater
偏正Modifier + head

泼 (splash/pour) plus 冷 (cold) and 水 (water): literally pouring cold water, hence dampening enthusiasm.

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 潑; 泼 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵氵shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
發
發fā潑pō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 潑 uses 氵 for water and 發 to suggest the pronunciation; the simplified 泼 is a later shorthand.

Open 泼 →

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
冫Written in full as仌bīngice
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng冷lěng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

冷 uses 冫, the ice form, with 令 as a sound part, to mean cold as ice.

Open 冷 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Idioms & Set Phrases

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