扪虱而言 — “Scratching lice and talking”
扪虱而言 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to converse in a relaxed and unrestrained manner, without formality or concern for minor details; to talk freely and informally”. Literally, “Scratching lice and talking”.
扪虱而言 Pronunciation and Pinyin
扪虱而言 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 扪虱而言
Origin and Story of 扪虱而言
During the Sixteen Kingdoms period, the Eastern Jin general Huan Wen led his army to attack the Former Qin state. He stationed his troops at Ba Shang but did not cross the Ba River to assault Chang'an.
Wang Meng, who was living in seclusion in Huayin Mountain, dressed in a worn-out coarse hemp garment, went to visit Huan Wen. They discussed the state of the world.
Wang Meng scratched lice while talking, completely unconcerned about his surroundings. He discovered that Huan Wen was not truly sincere, so he later went to serve Fu Jian, the King of Former Qin.
Idioms Related to 扪虱而言
Synonyms of 扪虱而言
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Open the tool →Questions about 扪虱而言
What does 扪虱而言 mean?
扪虱而言 (mén shī ér yán) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to converse in a relaxed and unrestrained manner, without formality or concern for minor details; to talk freely and informally”.
How do you pronounce 扪虱而言?
扪虱而言 is pronounced mén shī ér yán in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 扪虱而言 literally mean?
Literally, 扪虱而言 means “Scratching lice and talking”. It is used to mean “to converse in a relaxed and unrestrained manner, without formality or concern for minor details; to talk freely and informally”.
Where does 扪虱而言 come from?
扪虱而言 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 扪虱而言?
扪：摸。一面用手捉虱子，一面谈话。形容不拘细节，随便谈话。亦作“扪虱而谈”、“扪虱倾谈”。