Chinese word

顶撞

Pronunciation

Pinyindǐng zhuàng

Meaning

  • verbtalk back

Example

不要顶撞妈妈。bú yào dǐng zhuàng mā mā

Don't talk back to Mom.

Illustration for 顶撞 (talk back)

More examples

孩子不应该顶撞老师。hái zi bù yīng gāi dǐng zhuàng lǎo shī

Children should not talk back to the teacher.

Core concept

A verbal push that meets another person's words head-on, turning disagreement into a tense clash.

Common phrases

  • 顶撞长辈dǐng zhuàng zhǎng bèi

    talk back to elders

  • 顶撞老师dǐng zhuàng lǎo shī

    talk back to the teacher

  • 顶撞父母dǐng zhuàng fù mǔ

    talk back to one's parents

Similar words

顶嘴díng zuǐ: Answering someone in a rude way to show disagreement, especially during a correction.
回嘴huí zuǐ: Replying sharply to what someone has said, often without waiting.
反驳fǎn bó: Showing that another person's view is wrong by explaining the reasons.
抗议kàng yì: Openly stating an objection or complaint about something.

Definition in Chinese

用言语顶嘴表示不服或回嘴，语气常带生硬或挑衅意味，侧重口头冲突而非理性争辩。yòng yán yǔ díng zuǐ biǎo shì bù fú huò huí zuǐ yǔ qì cháng dài shēng yìng huò tiǎo xìn yì wèi cè zhòng kǒu tóu chōng tū ér fēi lǐ xìng zhēng biàn

Word origin

顶 (dǐng, "to push against") + 撞 (zhuàng, "to collide") creates the image of pushing verbally against someone instead of yielding.

Usage tips

  • English often treats disagreement as a matter of content, but this word also marks the reply as rude or confrontational, especially toward an older person or authority figure.

Other meanings

  • defyverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word