Chinese Conversation · Level 82
61 words
Chinese word
口若悬河
Pronunciation
Pinyinkǒu ruò xuán hé
Meaning
- idiomspeak eloquently
Example
他一开口就口若悬河，大家都听得很开心。tā yì kāi kǒu jiù kǒu ruò xuán hé dà jiā dōu tīng de hěn kāi xīn
As soon as he starts talking, he speaks eloquently, and everyone enjoys listening.
More examples
电话里他口若悬河，把对方的话都打断了。diàn huà lǐ tā kǒu ruò xuán hé bǎ duì fāng de huà dōu dǎ duàn le
On the phone, he spoke eloquently and interrupted everything the other person said.
Core concept
A speaker pours out clear, well-connected words like a river that does not run dry.
Common phrases
电话里口若悬河diàn huà lǐ kǒu ruò xuán hé
speak eloquently on the phone
在会议上口若悬河zài huì yì shàng kǒu ruò xuán hé
speak eloquently at a meeting
和同事聊天时口若悬河hé tóng shì liáo tiān shí kǒu ruò xuán hé
speak eloquently while chatting with coworkers
Similar words
滔滔不绝tāo tāo bù jué: Talking continuously and smoothly without stopping.
能言善辩néng yán shàn biàn: Speaking clearly and skillfully to explain ideas and persuade others.
侃侃而谈kán kǎn ér tán: Speaking calmly and confidently while clearly expressing one's ideas.
喋喋不休dié dié bù xiū: Talking on and on, often repeating things in an annoying way.
Definition in Chinese
用来形容人口才很好，说话滔滔不绝，连贯且能吸引听众。yòng lái xíng róng rén kǒu cái hěn hǎo shuō huà tāo tāo bù jué lián guàn qiě néng xī yǐn tīng zhòng
Word origin
口若悬河 (kǒuruòxuánhé, "mouth like a river") turns the uninterrupted movement of a river into a metaphor for a speaker whose words come out fluently and coherently.
Usage tips
- The expression normally praises a person's speaking ability rather than simply stating that the person has talked for a long time, so it carries a positive tone.
Opposites
- 沉默不语chén mò bù yǔremain silentidiom
- 三缄其口sān jiān qí kǒukeep one's mouth tightly shutidiom