能言善辩 (néng yán shàn biàn) — eloquent; articulate; persuasive in speech

Definition

Idiom meaning 'eloquent and skilled at arguing' — a strong, admiring quality, usually of public speakers, lawyers, or debaters. Positive: talent, not just talkativeness.

idiom
eloquentarticulatepersuasive in speech

Examples

  • 能言善辩，。
    Zhè wèi lǜ shī néng yán shàn biàn, zài fǎ tíng shàng zǒng shì néng shuō fú duì fāng.
    This lawyer is eloquent and always manages to persuade the other side in court.
  • 能言善辩，。
    Tā néng yán shàn biàn, zài biàn lùn sài zhōng lǚ cì huò shèng.
    He is so articulate that he repeatedly wins debate competitions.
  • ，能言善辩。
    Zuò wéi yì míng wài jiāo guān, néng yán shàn biàn shì fēi cháng zhòng yào de sù zhì.
    As a diplomat, being eloquent is a very important quality.

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.

能言able to speak
能néngable言yánspeak
偏正Modifier + head
善辩good at arguing
善shàngood at辩biànargue
偏正Modifier + head

能言 (able to speak) and 善辩 (good at arguing) are joined to describe eloquent, persuasive speech.

Characters in this word

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

能 is an old picture of a bear, showing two paws and a face with an open mouth.

Open 能 →

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

The early form of 言 shows an opening and a mark indicating a location; the location is not described as the source of speech.

Open 言 →

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

An earlier form of 善 joined 羊, a sheep linked with goodness or beauty, and 誩, described as a wrangle; the reference says this meaning link is hard to understand.

Open 善 →

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 辯; 辩 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánsay
Sound part声符shēngfú
辡
辡biàn辯biàn
Same sound today

The traditional form 辯 pairs 言, meaning say, with 辡, which gives the sound; the simplified 辩 is a later shorthand.

Open 辩 →

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