每天成语
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耐人寻味

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

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: nài rén xún wèi
  • English Translation: Thought-provoking (worthy of pondering)
  • Idiom Composition: 「耐」（To be worthy of; to endure）＋「人」（People (in this context, 'making people' or 'inviting people to')）＋「寻味」（To ponder; to savor the flavor (literally 'seeking the taste')）
  • Meaning: Describes words, writing, or situations that contain deep meaning and are worth savoring or thinking about repeatedly. It suggests a depth that goes beyond the surface, inviting the observer to explore hidden truths or intentions.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「耐人寻味」 contains the following nuances:

  • Lasting Interest: As indicated by the character 耐 (nài), which means 'to endure' or 'to be worthy of,' this idiom describes a quality that is not just a fleeting interest but something that yields more depth the more time you spend with it.
  • Implication and Suggestion: It is often used when a subject does not reveal everything directly, leaving 'white space' for the audience to interpret. This can be used in a positive sense (artistic depth) or a mysterious sense (suspecting a hidden motive).

3. Usage

「耐人寻味」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Artistic and Literary Criticism: Used to praise movie endings, dialogue in novels, or poetry that leaves a lasting impression and invites multiple interpretations.
    • Example:「这部电影的开放式结局耐人寻味，引发了观众的热烈讨论。」
      （The open ending of this movie was thought-provoking, sparking heated discussions among the audience.)
  • Analyzing Speech or Behavior: Used when a person's words or actions seem to have a hidden agenda, irony, or a deeper implication that isn't immediately stated.
    • Example:「他在会议最后露出的那个微笑，真是耐人寻味。」
      （That smile he gave at the end of the meeting was truly meaningful and left much to the imagination.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 这幅画看似简单，但其中的细节却耐人寻味。
    （This painting looks simple at first glance, but its details are deeply thought-provoking.）
  2. 老教授的那番话虽然简短，但道理深刻，耐人寻味。
    （Although the old professor's words were brief, the logic was profound and worthy of careful pondering.）
  3. 事情发生在这个敏感时期，其中的原因耐人寻味。
    （The fact that this happened during such a sensitive time makes the underlying reasons highly intriguing.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • In Chinese culture, especially in literature and art, the concept of 含蓄 (hán xù) or 'implicit reserve' is highly valued. It is considered more sophisticated to suggest a meaning rather than state it explicitly, and 耐人寻味 (nài rén xún wèi) perfectly captures the pleasure of 'reading between the lines.'
  • While often a compliment for intellectual or artistic depth, in political or social contexts, calling someone's words 耐人寻味 (nài rén xún wèi) can imply that they are being cryptic or that there is a 'story behind the story' that hasn't been told yet.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

6. Summary

The idiom 耐人寻味 (nài rén xún wèi) is used when something—be it a work of art, a person's attitude, or a specific comment—is so rich in meaning that it requires careful reflection. Rather than being simple or obvious, it is like a fine tea that reveals more 'flavor' or 寻味 (xún wèi) the more one 'tastes' or contemplates it.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Level 2

Idiom Essay

nài rén xún wèi
耐人寻味
Thought-provoking
zài在zhè ge这个kuài jié zòu快节奏de的shí dài时代，wǒ men我们xí guàn习惯le了shén me什么dōu都yào要“kuài快”。

In this fast-paced era, we are used to everything being "fast."

kàn看shì pín视频yào要liǎng bèi sù两倍速，kàn看wén zhāng文章zhǐ只kàn看biāo tí标题，xiǎng yào想要lì kè立刻zhī dào知道yí gè一个wèn tí问题de的dá àn答案。

We watch videos at double speed, read only the headlines of articles, and want to know the answer to a question immediately.

kě shì可是，nǐ你yǒu méi yǒu有没有guò过zhè yàng这样de的tǐ yàn体验？

But have you ever had an experience like this?

yě xǔ也许shì是dú wán读完yī一běn shū本书，hé shàng合上shū běn书本de的nà yī kè那一刻，nǐ你bìng并méi yǒu没有jué de觉得jié shù结束le了，fǎn ér反而kāi shǐ开始zài在nǎo zi脑子lǐ里bǎ把gāng cái刚才de的gù shì故事yòu又guò过le了yī biàn一遍；yě xǔ也许shì是kàn看yī bù一部diàn yǐng电影，píng mù屏幕hēi黑xià lái下来le了，nǐ你què却zuò坐zài在zuò wèi座位shàng上，jiǔ jiǔ久久bù xiǎng不想lí kāi离开，xīn lǐ心里hǎo xiàng好像bèi被shén me什么dōng xī东西qīng qīng轻轻zhuàng撞le了yī xià一下。

Perhaps after finishing a book, the moment you close it, you don't feel it's over; instead, you start replaying the story in your mind. Or perhaps after watching a movie, the screen goes black, but you sit in your seat, unwilling to leave for a long time, as if something has gently struck your heart.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个fēi cháng非常yōu yǎ优雅de的chéng yǔ成语，zhuān mén专门yòng lái用来xíng róng形容zhè zhǒng这种gǎn jué感觉，jiào叫“nài rén xún wèi耐人寻味”。

In Chinese, there is a very elegant idiom specifically used to describe this feeling, called 耐人寻味.

zhè ge这个cí词de的huà miàn画面gǎn感hěn很qiáng强。

This word has a strong sense of imagery.

“xún wèi寻味”，jiù shì就是xún zhǎo寻找wèi dào味道。

寻味 means to search for flavor.

jiù就xiàng像hē chá喝茶yī yàng一样，dì yī kǒu第一口hē喝xià qù下去，yě xǔ也许méi shén me没什么tè bié特别，dàn但guò yī huì er过一会儿，shé jiān舌尖shàng上huì会fàn qǐ泛起yī zhǒng一种gān tián甘甜。

It's like drinking tea; the first sip might not seem special, but after a while, a sweetness emerges on the tip of your tongue.

ér而qián miàn前面de的zhè ge这个“nài耐”zì字，shì是zuì最guān jiàn关键de的。

The character 耐 at the beginning is the most crucial part.

yì si意思shì是“jīn de qǐ禁得起”、“jīng dé zhù经得住”。

It means "to withstand" or "to endure."

hé合qǐ lái起来shuō说，“nài rén xún wèi耐人寻味”jiù shì就是zhǐ指yī jiàn一件shì wù事物，jīn de qǐ禁得起nǐ你yī biàn yòu yī biàn一遍又一遍dì地qù去tǐ huì体会，ér qiě而且měi yī cì每一次，sì hū似乎dōu都néng能fā xiàn发现xīn新de的dōng xī东西。

Put together, 耐人寻味 refers to something that can withstand being experienced over and over again, and each time, you seem to discover something new.

wǒ men我们tōng cháng通常yòng用tā它lái来xíng róng形容shén me什么ne呢？

What do we usually use it to describe?

wǎng wǎng往往bú shì不是nà xiē那些jiǎn dān简单zhí bái直白de的dōng xī东西。

It's often not for things that are simple and straightforward.

rú guǒ如果yí gè一个rén人shuō huà说话hěn很dà shēng大声、hěn很zhí jiē直接，wǒ men我们bú huì不会shuō说tā他“nài rén xún wèi耐人寻味”。

If someone speaks very loudly and directly, we wouldn't say they are 耐人寻味.

xiāng fǎn相反，tā它cháng常bèi被yòng lái用来xíng róng形容nà xiē那些hán xù含蓄de的、yǒu有céng cì层次de的dōng xī东西。

On the contrary, it is often used to describe things that are subtle and layered.

bǐ rú比如，yī wèi一位lǎo péng yǒu老朋友suí kǒu随口shuō chū说出de的yī jù一句gǎn tàn感叹，dāng shí当时nǐ你méi没zài yì在意，huí jiā回家tǎng躺zài在chuáng床shàng上，tū rán突然míng bái明白le了qí zhōng其中de的shēn yì深意；yòu又bǐ rú比如yī zhāng一张lǎo老zhào piān照片，zhào piān照片lǐ里de的rén人sì xiào fēi xiào似笑非笑，ràng让nǐ你rěn bú zhù忍不住qù去cāi猜，nà yī kè那一刻tā他zài在xiǎng想shén me什么。

For example, a casual sigh from an old friend that you didn't notice at the time, but while lying in bed at home, you suddenly understand its deep meaning; or an old photo where the person has a faint smile, making you wonder what they were thinking at that moment.

zhè这jiù shì就是“nài rén xún wèi耐人寻味”de的mèi lì魅力。

This is the charm of 耐人寻味.

tā它bú shì不是yī yǎn一眼jiù就néng能kàn tòu看透de的bái kāi shuǐ白开水，ér shì而是yī bēi一杯xū yào需要màn màn慢慢pǐn品de的chá茶。

It is not a glass of plain water that can be seen through at a glance, but a cup of tea that needs to be savored slowly.

zhēn zhèng真正nài rén xún wèi耐人寻味de的dōng xī东西，wǎng wǎng往往bú shì不是yīn wèi因为tā它gěi给le了nǐ你què dìng确定de的dá àn答案，ér shì而是yīn wèi因为tā它gěi给le了nǐ你sī kǎo思考de的kōng jiān空间。

Things that are truly 耐人寻味 are often not because they give you a definite answer, but because they give you space to think.

tā它bù不gào sù告诉nǐ你“shì是duì对shì是cuò错”，yě也bù不gào sù告诉nǐ你“jié jú结局rú hé如何”，tā它zhǐ shì只是bǎ把yī zhǒng一种fù zá复杂de的zhuàng tài状态chéng xiàn呈现gěi给nǐ你，ràng让nǐ你zì jǐ自己qù去gǎn shòu感受。

It doesn't tell you "right or wrong" or "how it ends"; it just presents a complex state to you, letting you feel it for yourself.

suǒ yǐ所以，xià cì下次dāng当nǐ你yù dào遇到yī shǒu一首shī诗、yī bù一部diàn yǐng电影，huò zhě或者yī duàn一段duì huà对话，ràng让nǐ你jué de觉得yì yóu wèi jǐn意犹未尽，shèn zhì甚至jǐ tiān几天hòu后hái还zài在zhuó mó琢磨qí zhōng其中de的yì si意思shí时，nǐ你bù不xū yào需要jí zhe急着zhǎo找jié lùn结论。

So, the next time you encounter a poem, a movie, or a conversation that leaves you wanting more, or even has you pondering its meaning days later, you don't need to rush for a conclusion.

nǐ你kě yǐ可以jìng jìng静静dì地xiǎng shòu享受zhè zhǒng这种sī kǎo思考de的guò chéng过程，rán hòu然后duì对zì jǐ自己shuō说：zhè这jiàn件shì事，zhēn shì真是nài rén xún wèi耐人寻味。

You can quietly enjoy this process of thinking and then say to yourself: This matter is truly 耐人寻味.

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