HSK · Level 125
15 words
Chinese word
交头接耳
Pronunciation
Pinyinjiāo tóu jiē ěr
Meaning
- idiomwhisper to each other
Example
他们交头接耳，我听不清。tā men jiāo tóu jiē ěr wǒ tīng bù qīng
They are whispering to each other, so I cannot hear clearly.
More examples
图书馆里有人在交头接耳，打扰了别人读书。tú shū guǎn lǐ yǒu rén zài jiāo tóu jiē ěr dá rǎo le bié rén dú shū
Some people in the library were whispering to each other, disturbing others who were reading.
Core concept
Several people lean together, shutting the rest of the room out of their conversation.
Common phrases
悄悄交头接耳qiāo qiāo jiāo tóu jiē ěr
whisper to each other quietly
互相交头接耳hù xiāng jiāo tóu jiē ěr
whisper to each other
Similar words
窃窃私语qiè qiè sī yǔ: Whispering secretly to one another so that others cannot hear.
低声细语dī shēng xì yǔ: Speaking softly and gently in a low voice.
Definition in Chinese
两个人或多人把头靠近，低声在耳边商量或私下说话。liǎng gè rén huò duō rén bǎ tóu kào jìn dī shēng zài ěr biān shāng liáng huò sī xià shuō huà
Word origin
The four characters preserve a physical scene: 交 (jiāo, "join") + 头 (tóu, "head") suggests heads coming together, while 接 (jiē, "touch") + 耳 (ěr, "ear") suggests words passing close to the ear.
Usage tips
- In everyday conversation, plain wording is often preferred when the focus is simply on exchanging information, while this idiom suits a vivid description of the scene.
Other meanings
- speak in whispersidiom
- whisper into someone's earidiom
Opposites
- 光明正大guāng míng zhèng dàopen and aboveboardidiom
- 明目张胆míng mù zhāng dǎnbrazen and blatantidiom