说三道四

說三道四

shuōsān-dàosì

idiom #16,081

Meanings

1 to make thoughtless remarks; to gossip
2 to criticize; to nitpick

Characters

to say; to speak

to say; to talk about

Examples

别在背后说三道四。

Bié zài bèihòu shuōsān-dàosì.

Don't gossip behind people's backs.

他总是对别人的事说三道四。

Tā zǒngshì duì biérén de shì shuōsān-dàosì.

He always makes thoughtless remarks about other people's business.

Tips

memory

说三道四 literally means 'say three, say four' - talking about this and that, implying idle gossip. Similar structure to 乱七八糟 (messy sevens and eights = total mess).

Stroke Order

说 shuō

三 sān

道 dào

四 sì