悬河泻水 — “To speak volubly and fluently”

悬河泻水 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to speak volubly and fluently”. To have a facile and eloquent tongue; to speak like a torrent or to write with flowing and powerful prose. Literally, “a gushing river; water flowing down rapidly”.

Frequency

悬河泻水 Pronunciation and Pinyin

悬河泻水 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
悬	xuán	11	hang, suspend
河	hé	8	river
泻	xiè	8	flow rapidly; have diarrhea
水	shuǐ	4	water, liquid, river, juice

Example Sentence with 悬河泻水

这位教授在课堂上引经据典，讲解知识如同悬河泻水，让学生们受益匪浅。

In class, the professor cited various sources and explained knowledge like a gushing river, greatly benefiting the students.

Origin and Story of 悬河泻水

During the Western Jin Dynasty, Wang Yan, a Grand Commandant, was fond of discussing the philosophies of Laozi and Zhuangzi. His interpretations often changed, leading people to jokingly call him 'mouth full of cichuang' (meaning one who frequently alters their words).

He sought out Guo Xiang, who was a profound scholar of Laozi and Zhuangzi, to engage in a discussion. Guo Xiang offered a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the philosophies, leaving Wang Yan with no opportunity to interject.

Deeply impressed, Wang Yan remarked that Guo Xiang's discourse on Laozi and Zhuangzi was like 'a gushing river pouring down water' (悬河泻水), flowing continuously and never running dry.