津津乐道 (jīn jīn lè dào) — to talk about with great relish and enthusiasm | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

An idiom for talking about something with great enjoyment and enthusiasm — often repeatedly and at length. Pairs with 地 to modify a verb (津津乐道地讲起).

idiom

to talk about with great relish and enthusiasm

Examples

津津乐道。
Tā duì zì jǐ de chéng jiù jīn jīn lè dào.
He talks with great relish about his own achievements.
津津乐道。
Péng you men duì nà bù diàn yǐng jīn jīn lè dào.
Friends talk with great relish about that movie.
津津乐道。
Tā jīn jīn lè dào dì jiǎng qǐ zì jǐ de lǚ xíng jīng lì.
He talked with great relish about his travel experiences.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

津津relish

津jīnsaliva津jīnsaliva

重叠Reduplication

乐道take pleasure in speaking

乐lètake pleasure道dàospeak

动宾Verb + object

津津 suggests relish, and 乐道 means take pleasure in speaking, conveying enthusiastic talk about something.

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

水水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

盡

盡jìn津jīn

Same sound today

津 is made from 水, water, and 盡, which supplies the sound.

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

水水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

盡

盡jìn津jīn

Same sound today

津 is made from 水, water, and 盡, which supplies the sound.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 樂; 乐 is its simplified writing.

絲絲sīstring
木木mùwood

In the traditional form 樂, 絲 (string) with 木 (wood) shows strings on a piece of wood, a musical instrument; the simplified 乐 is a later shorthand.

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

行行xíngstreet

止止zhǐfoot

Sound part声符shēngfú

𩠐

首shǒu道dào

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

Early 道 showed a street 行, a foot 止, and a part written 首 or 𩠐; the right part of 行 later disappeared.

Appears in

Communication & Speech Idioms & Set Phrases

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