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赞不绝口 (zàn bù jué kǒu) — to praise without cease; to be full of praise for

Definition

A vivid set phrase meaning 'to praise without stopping' — emphasizes continuous, effusive praise (usually verbal), stronger and more emphatic than plain 称赞 or 表扬.

phrase
to praise without ceaseto be full of praise for

Examples

  • 赞不绝口。
    Kè rén duì nà jiā cān tīng de zhāo pai cài zàn bù jué kǒu.
    The guests were full of praise for that restaurant's signature dish.
  • 赞不绝口。
    Guān zhòng duì zhè wèi nián qīng gāng qín jiā de yǎn zòu zàn bù jué kǒu.
    The audience praised the young pianist's performance without ceasing.
  • 赞不绝口。
    Tóng shì men duì tā de shè jì fāng àn zàn bù jué kǒu.
    His colleagues were full of praise for his design proposal.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 贊; 赞 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 赞 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (称赞, 赞赏) it is 讚; in others (赞成, 赞同) it is 贊.

  • 㚘㚘㚘
  • 貝貝bèimoney

This note is about the traditional form 贊. It pairs 㚘 with 貝 (money) for helping with money; the simplified 赞 is a shorthand.

Open 赞 →

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 絕; 绝 is its simplified writing.

In the traditional form 絕, 刀 (knife) and 幺 (silk) show a knife cutting silk threads. The simplified 绝 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the original picture.

Open 绝 →

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

The form 口 looks like an open mouth.

Open 口 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Communication & SpeechIdioms & Set Phrases

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