闷葫芦

悶葫蘆

mènhúlu

idiom

Measure Word

一个闷葫芦 gè

Meanings

1 a sealed gourd
2 a total mystery; a puzzle you can't crack
3 a tight-lipped person who gives nothing away

Characters

sealed; stifling

gourd (first syllable)

gourd (second syllable)

Examples

他这话是什么意思？真是个闷葫芦。

Tā zhè huà shì shénme yìsi? Zhēn shì gè mènhúlu.

What does he mean by that? It's a total puzzle.

我弟弟是个闷葫芦，一天说不了几句话。

Wǒ dìdi shì gè mènhúlu, yī tiān shuō bùliǎo jǐ jù huà.

My younger brother is a real clam — barely says a few words all day.

这事一直是个闷葫芦，谁也猜不透。

Zhè shì yīzhí shì gè mènhúlu, shéi yě cāi bù tòu.

The whole thing has stayed a sealed gourd — nobody can figure it out.

Tips

memory

A gourd used as a container: seal the mouth and you have no idea what's inside. That's the image behind both senses — an inscrutable situation and an inscrutable person.

register

Colloquial. For people, slightly affectionate/teasing rather than harsh.

Stroke Order

闷 mèn

葫 hú

芦 lú