Chinese word

说三道四

Pronunciation

Pinyinshuō sān dào sì

Meaning

  • idiommake irresponsible remarks

Example

别在背后说三道四，有话就说。bié zài bèi hòu shuō sān dào sì yǒu huà jiù shuō

Don't make irresponsible remarks behind people's backs; if you have something to say, say it.

Illustration for 说三道四 (make irresponsible remarks)

More examples

网上有些人喜欢说三道四，不要全信。wǎng shàng yǒu xiē rén xǐ huān shuō sān dào sì bú yào quán xìn

Some people online like to make irresponsible remarks, so do not believe everything they say.

Core concept

A stream of casual judgments about another person, with facts giving way to speculation.

Common phrases

  • 在背后说三道四zài bèi hòu shuō sān dào sì

    make irresponsible remarks behind people's backs

  • 别再说三道四bié zài shuō sān dào sì

    stop making irresponsible remarks

Similar words

说长道短shuō cháng dào duǎn: Gossiping about other people's actions or faults, often with critical or unkind comments.
搬弄是非bān nòng shì fēi: Spreading distorted or harmful rumors to stir up conflict or misunderstanding between people.
指指点点zhí zhí dián diǎn: Pointing out and criticizing things about someone's behavior in a disapproving way.
评头论足píng tóu lùn zú: Picking apart and judging small details of a person or thing, often critically.

Definition in Chinese

指在背后或当面随意议论他人，常带有主观批评且没有可靠根据。zhǐ zài bèi hòu huò dāng miàn suí yì yì lùn tā rén cháng dài yǒu zhǔ guān pī píng qiě méi yǒu kě kào gēn jù

Word origin

说 (shuō, "say") + 三 (sān, "three") + 道 (dào, "talk about") + 四 (sì, "four") forms a vivid pattern for talking about this and that, not a literal count of topics.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, this idiom usually carries clear disapproval, so it sounds much harsher than a neutral account of someone's actions.

Other meanings

  • talk behind someone's backidiom
  • criticize without basisidiom

Opposites

Word lists with this word