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说三道四 (shuō sān dào sì) — to gossip about others; to make irresponsible remarks

Definition

A chengyu meaning to gossip or pass irresponsible judgment on others — a stronger, more literary way to say someone likes to 'run their mouth' about other people's affairs.

idiom
to gossip about othersto make irresponsible remarks

Examples

  • 说三道四。
    Tā zǒng xǐ huan zài bèi hòu shuō sān dào sì.
    She always likes to gossip behind others' backs.
  • 说三道四。
    Bú yào duì bié rén de sī shēng huó shuō sān dào sì.
    Don't gossip about other people's private lives.
  • 说三道四。
    Tā men zài yì qǐ de shí hou zhī huì shuō sān dào sì.
    When they get together, they only gossip.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

说三speak three
说shuōspeak三sānthree
动宾Verb + object
道四talk four
道dàotalk四sìfour
动宾Verb + object

说 and 道 both mean talk, while 三 and 四 suggest many matters, painting endless gossip.

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 說; 说 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
兌
兌duì說shuō
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 說 pairs 言 (meaning) with 兌 (sound); the simplified 说 is not the form described here.

Open 说 →

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

三 is drawn as three parallel strokes, like 一 with one stroke and 二 with two.

Open 三 →

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.

Open 道 →

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

The form 四 was drawn as a nose breathing out. It later came to be used for the word four.

Open 四 →
Appears in
Communication & SpeechIdioms & Set Phrases

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