Chinese word

耐人寻味

Pronunciation

Pinyinnài rén xún wèi

Meaning

  • idiomintriguing

Example

这件事有点耐人寻味。zhè jiàn shì yóu diǎn nài rén xún wèi

There is something a little intriguing about this matter.

Illustration for 耐人寻味 (intriguing)

More examples

小说的结局很耐人寻味，让人思考人物的命运。xiǎo shuō de jié jú hěn nài rén xún wèi ràng rén sī kǎo rén wù de mìng yùn

The novel's ending is very thought-provoking, making readers think about the characters' fates.

Core concept

Meaning unfolds in layers, with each return to a remark or event revealing more than its surface shows.

Common phrases

  • 令人耐人寻味lìng rén nài rén xún wèi

    thought-provoking

  • 有点耐人寻味yóu diǎn nài rén xún wèi

    somewhat thought-provoking

  • 耐人寻味的结局nài rén xún wèi de jié jú

    a thought-provoking ending

Similar words

意味深长yì wèi shēn cháng: Describes a short expression or event that carries deep meaning and stays memorable.
发人深省fā rén shēn xǐng: Describes something that leads people to think deeply about serious or meaningful matters.
回味无穷huí wèi wú qióng: Describes a story or experience that remains pleasurable each time it is remembered.

Definition in Chinese

用于形容事物或言语表面看似平常但含有深意，能引起人反复思考或回味。yòng yú xíng róng shì wù huò yán yǔ biǎo miàn kàn sì píng cháng dàn hán yǒu shēn yì néng yín qǐ rén fǎn fù sī kǎo huò huí wèi

Word origin

耐 (nài, "endure") + 人 (rén, "people") describes something that holds up under human attention, while 寻 (xún, "seek") + 味 (wèi, "flavor") makes interpretation feel like searching out a taste.

Usage tips

  • The idiom works for a speaker's words, a decision, or an event, so it marks significance without explaining the significance itself.

Other meanings

  • meaningfulidiom
  • subtleidiom

Opposites

  • 索然无味suǒ rán wú wèiuninterestingidiom
  • 平淡无奇píng dàn wú qíordinary and unremarkableidiom

Word lists with this word