每天成语
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七嘴八舌

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: qī zuǐ bā shé
  • English Translation: Seven mouths and eight tongues (everyone talking at once)
  • Idiom Composition: 「七」（Seven (used here with 'eight' to imply a large, disorganized number).）＋「嘴」（Mouth or beak.）＋「八」（Eight (used here with 'seven' to imply variety or a lack of coordination).）＋「舌」（Tongue.）
  • Meaning: A situation where many people are speaking simultaneously, often resulting in a lively, chaotic, or disorganized discussion where everyone is eager to give their own opinion.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「七嘴八舌」 contains the following nuances:

  • Numerical Metaphor: The numbers 'seven' and 'eight' are not literal. In Chinese idioms, this pairing often emphasizes a state of being 'scattered,' 'diverse,' or 'messy,' highlighting that there are many different voices involved.
  • Disorganized Speech: Unlike a structured debate, this idiom specifically points to the 'jumbled' nature of the conversation, where people might be interrupting each other or speaking over one another.

3. Usage

「七嘴八舌」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Lively Discussion: Used to describe a meeting or gathering where participants are actively and enthusiastically sharing their views.
    • Example:「大家七嘴八舌地讨论着明天的旅行计划，显得非常兴奋。」
      （Everyone was talking all at once about the plans for tomorrow's trip, looking very excited.）
  • Chaos and Noise: Used when a situation is disorganized because too many people are shouting or offering unsolicited advice.
    • Example:「车祸发生后，围观的人七嘴八舌，有的报警，有的在拍照。」
      （After the car accident, the onlookers were all talking at once, with some calling the police and others taking photos.）
  • Rapid Questioning: Commonly used when a group of people surrounds someone to ask multiple questions at the same time.
    • Example:「记者们围住明星，七嘴八舌地问个不停。」
      （The reporters surrounded the star, shouting questions from all sides without stopping.）

Additional Examples:

  1. 老师刚提出问题，同学们就七嘴八舌地抢着回答。
    （As soon as the teacher asked a question, the students started scrambling to answer all at once.）
  2. 由于大家七嘴八舌，会议开了两个小时也没得出结论。
    （Because everyone was chipping in with their own opinions, the meeting lasted two hours without reaching a conclusion.）
  3. 看到这奇怪的现象，村民们七嘴八舌地猜测着原因。
    （Seeing this strange phenomenon, the villagers began speculating loudly about the cause.）
  4. 别七嘴八舌的，一个一个说！
    （Stop all talking at once; speak one by one!）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • Numerical Patterns: The combination of 七 (qī) and 八 (bā) is a common linguistic device in Chinese to denote chaos or complexity, as seen in other idioms like 七上八下 (qī shàng bā xià), which describes an unsettled or agitated mind.
  • Register and Usage: This phrase is extremely common in daily conversation and narrative literature. While it is rarely used in formal academic papers, it is frequently found in journalism to describe the atmosphere of a scene.
  • Contextual Nuance: While often used to criticize noise or lack of order, it can also be used neutrally or even positively to describe a 'brainstorming' session where everyone is eager to contribute.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 七嘴八舌 (qī zuǐ bā shé) vividly describes a scene where a crowd of people is talking all at once. It can represent a vibrant, energetic exchange of ideas or a noisy, confusing situation where it is hard to reach a consensus. In Chinese numerology, the combination of 七 (qī) and 八 (bā) often symbolizes 'many' or 'disorder' rather than literal quantities.

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