之乎者也 — “Zhi Hu Zhe Ye (classical Chinese particles)”
之乎者也 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to speak or write in an overly pedantic, archaic, or obscure style, often using classical Chinese particles excessively; literary jargon that is difficult to understand”. Literally, “Zhi Hu Zhe Ye (classical Chinese particles)”.
之乎者也 Pronunciation and Pinyin
之乎者也 Character Breakdown
Stroke OrderExample Sentence with 之乎者也
Origin and Story of 之乎者也
During the Song Dynasty, after Emperor Taizu Zhao Kuangyin ascended the throne, he planned to expand the outer city. He arrived in front of the Vermilion Bird Gate (Zhuque Men) and looked up at the plaque, which read '之朱雀之门' (Gate of the Vermilion Bird).
He found it awkward and asked his minister Zhao Pu, 'Why isn't it just '朱雀门' (Vermilion Bird Gate)? What's the point of adding an extra '之' (zhi)?'
Zhao Pu explained, 'The character '之' is used here as an auxiliary word.' Zhao Kuangyin laughed heartily and said, 'What help can these empty words like '之乎者也' provide?'
Later, a proverb circulated among the people: 'If '之乎者也已焉哉' are used well, they make a good scholar.' This story illustrates the common perception of these particles as being obscure or pedantic to those unfamiliar with classical Chinese.
Idioms Related to 之乎者也
Synonyms of 之乎者也
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Open the tool →Questions about 之乎者也
What does 之乎者也 mean?
之乎者也 (zhī hū zhě yě) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “to speak or write in an overly pedantic, archaic, or obscure style, often using classical Chinese particles excessively; literary jargon that is difficult to understand”.
How do you pronounce 之乎者也?
之乎者也 is pronounced zhī hū zhě yě in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 之乎者也 literally mean?
Literally, 之乎者也 means “Zhi Hu Zhe Ye (classical Chinese particles)”. It is used to mean “to speak or write in an overly pedantic, archaic, or obscure style, often using classical Chinese particles excessively; literary jargon that is difficult to understand”.
Where does 之乎者也 come from?
之乎者也 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 之乎者也?
这四个字都是文言虚词，讽刺人说话喜欢咬文嚼字。也形容半文不白的话或文章。