Chinese word

没完没了

Pronunciation

Pinyinméi wán méi liǎo

Meaning

  • idiomnever-ending

Example

他们的争论没完没了。tā men de zhēng lùn méi wán méi liǎo

Their argument never ends.

Illustration for 没完没了 (never-ending)

More examples

他对这件事没完没了地抱怨，睡不好觉。tā duì zhè jiàn shì méi wán méi liǎo dì bào yuàn shuì bù hǎo jiào

He complains endlessly about this matter and cannot sleep well.

Core concept

A situation keeps going past any expected stopping point, with the continuation becoming a source of frustration.

Common phrases

  • 没完没了地抱怨méi wán méi liǎo dì bào yuàn

    complain endlessly

  • 没完没了的事情méi wán méi liǎo de shì qíng

    never-ending matter

  • 说话说得没完没了shuō huà shuō de méi wán méi liǎo

    talk on and on

Similar words

滔滔不绝tāo tāo bù jué: Describes speech that flows on continuously without stopping.
争吵不休zhēng chǎo bù xiū: Describes a quarrel or dispute that continues without stopping.
喋喋不休dié dié bù xiū: Describes someone talking on and on in a tiresome way.

Definition in Chinese

形容事情或行为一再持续，没有结束，常用来表示令人烦恼或难以收尾的状态。xíng róng shì qíng huò xíng wéi yí zài chí xù méi yǒu jié shù cháng yòng lái biǎo shì lìng rén fán nǎo huò nán yǐ shōu wěi de zhuàng tài

Word origin

没完没了 (méiwánméiliǎo, "never-ending") combines 没 (méi, "not have") with 完 (wán, "finish") and 了 (liǎo, "end"); repeating 没 reinforces the idea that neither completion nor an endpoint appears.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, this idiom often carries irritation, so it fits complaints about a discussion, task, or problem better than a neutral report about duration.

Other meanings

  • incessantidiom

Opposites

  • 有始有终yóu shí yǒu zhōngfinish what one startsidiom

Word lists with this word